Moments of Love
by aStIg101
Summary: 5 years. A year of hiding feelings, a couple of convincing her ridiculously protective brother, and another two to ask her hand. Will they finally live the life they wished for? AllenXLenalee. CHAPTER 24 AT LAST! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
1. The Dream

Warning: Major OOC-ness and fluff! Don't like the pairing then don't read!

Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-Man. I do hope I own Allen though. XD

* * *

5 years.

It took them five years - a year of hiding feelings, a couple of convincing her ridiculously protective brother, and another two to ask her hand. Many things had happened as time passed. Most of them approved of their love but some tried to break them apart…through war. But it was all over. Six months ago, the Earl was finally defeated together with the Noah. It was a bloody and long battle, yet they managed to pull through. All thanks to him, the Destroyer of time.

And as the stars shone brightly from the black night sky, Allen can't help but smile, a smile so true and contented, a gesture that showed how happy he was. The smile grew more when he felt slender arms slip around his waist and the scent of blooming flowers that flooded his nostrils.

"Why aren't you sleeping Allen-kun?"

Her voice was laced with slight worry as she leaned her chin on his shoulder to look at him while she tiptoed. She frowned a bit. Why did he have to grow so tall anyway? Allen noticed her frown and faced sideways, leaning his face to her and briefly kiss her forehead.

"I'm just thinking. How about you? You need something Lenalee?"

The girl sighed then pulled away. She leaned on the railing of the balcony beside him and stared up at the stars.

"I had a dream."

A streak of worry flashed on his face. "Are you having nightmares again?"

Lenalee shook her head as she smiled at Allen to assure him that there's nothing wrong. She momentarily remembered the nights in the past. Those nights that haunted her for a very long time, the dreams of his death. But it was all gone since 6 months ago when the Earl had vanished.

She reached out and grasped his left hand, still blackish red because of his innocence. She stared at him still with the smile as she began caressing his hand with her fingers.

"You're here Allen-kun." She whispered. "You're alive and here with me. Those nightmares are long over."

Allen nodded and let himself enjoy her soothing caresses on his hand. He thought over what she had said and can't help but smile a bit bitterly. He knew about her dreams before, her dreams where she's alone and the corpses of her friends lay around her. He had a sight of it himself when he was in China years ago. He himself had found it terrifying. He had wanted to protect her from those nightmares but he was preoccupied at that time. He knew he love her then, but his mind is set on the Earl and he can't afford to lose track in his mission. So the least he did in those times was to only give her assurances of a bright future.

'_That was the past.'_ He inwardly reminded himself when he was again aware of her fingers still caressing his hand. He had tried to hide his deep feelings for her then. But alas, he grew tired of just watching in a distance and had confessed to her during a mission. Part of him scolded himself for giving in when the war was still ongoing and another cheered him for finally telling her. He had agreed with the latter when she had cried and admitted she's been feeling the same way for a long time too. And now, the fight was over. There's no one who can harm her anymore and although someone might try to, he will be there to continuously protect her.

His smile faltered a bit when he remembered the latest, and perhaps, last mission given to him by Komui as an exorcist.

"Want to know what I dreamed about?"

Lenalee's voice temporarily took him off his thoughts as he heard her question. She was looking at him with an expectant look so he smiled again then nodded.

"Tell me."

"Well…" Lenalee looked away as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.

"I dreamed of green fields, where a white medium sized house stood. It was a two-storey house with blue curtains hanging from the windows. Then around it were apple trees with flower patches at both sides of the house."

She grinned at Allen. "It's so beautiful."

The young man chuckled and nodded as relief washed over him. At least she's now having calm and peaceful dreams. He can at least breath and go with the mission without worry.

"Then," he started as an idea came to him. "Let's build that house at a place where there are green fields and apple trees, once we get married."

Lenalee enthusiastically nodded with pink on her cheeks. "Yes. Then there will be kind neighbors around us."

Allen chuckled again. "Then I'll go to town to work as an odd-jobs man."

"I'll be staying at the house." Lenalee continued with a laugh. "While I bake apple pies to sell to a few willing customers."

"And when work's done…" Allen took her chin and lightly pecked her on the lips.

"I'll come home to see you waiting for me with heaps of food on the table."

Lenalee didn't say anything for a moment. She just stared at him – at his handsome face, his silvery white hair, bluish-gray eyes and the scar on his left eye. She forgot to mention the most important part of her dream, the one that kept her heading for the future more than anything.

But before she could say anything, Allen suddenly grabbed her by the waist and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned to her ear and with a concerned voice,

"Lenalee, I'm leaving for a classified mission."

Her eyes widen at his whisper. '_Classified?'_ She gripped the cloth of his coat on his chest. Classified…then that meant it may take long to accomplish it, maybe months or even years. But what could possibly be the mission? The Earl was gone and the exorcists still exist only for precautions. She can understand that Allen is a general, a very important general at that. But why did he have to be the one to do the mission?

As if he can guess her thoughts through the silence, Allen continued to speak after pulling her closer.

"Komui-san said I'm the only one who can do it. It may take some time to complete but it's not something too dangerous. I'm doing it to ensure that everything is really over and it is safe to resume normal lives."

_'Brother!'_ Lenalee can't help but frown. Although her older brother finally agreed to let her marry Allen in the near future, he still made some unnecessary actions to keep him away from her. She sighed. But she do know that her brother will not risk the Order's importance for his ridiculous plans that often fails. Allen was the Destroyer of Time and had an akuma-sensing eye with a sword of exorcism to add. If anyone should do a classified mission, it would be automatically Allen.

"Do you know the most important part of my dream?"

Allen glanced at her hair. He pulled away from their embrace and stared at her with question. Lenalee smiled as she took his hand.

"You…me…" she placed his hand on her stomach, her hands pressing his hand on her midsection. She looked up to him with a red blush as she continued.

"…and our child."

Allen's eyes widened slightly but he remained confused. He wanted to know the meaning behind the third person she mentioned. Lenalee felt his wonder and she pressed his hand further on her womb.

"Allen-kun," tears fell from her eyes as she smiled more. "I'm with child now."

Silence…

It took a few seconds before Allen can finally digest her words and stare at her in shock. He glanced at his hand on her stomach then to her beautiful face and eyes that expects an answer. He gulped and blushed too, as if unsure what to say.

"H-How…what…how many months?"

"2 months."

He blushed yet again when he remembered the events two months before. It was one of his treasured moments, the night when she and him finally…He mentally shook his head at his thoughts and forced himself to return to reality. 2 months…2 months since a life was formed inside of her, a life that will soon take form into a baby, _their_ baby…their very first child.

At that thought, his emotions finally burst as he possessively embraced her again. He realized it was joy, excitement, anxiousness and a lot more feelings joined together. Lenalee giggled and embraced him back after gently patting her still flat womb. She inhaled his scent.

"You're not angry?"

"Angry?" Allen laughed. "Of course not! The woman I love bears my child! Our very first child…"

He let his sentence slide off when a new resolve formed within him. He narrowed his eyes and pulled away slightly to face her.

"I'll come back." He stated with seriousness. "I'll definitely come back. We'll get married as soon as I return and build your home at a place where our child can grow safely."

He leaned to her and briefly kissed her lips. "Until then please wait for me."

Lenalee's eyes flowed again as she nodded with another smile. Allen brushed the liquid away from her eyes with his thumb. He smiled back at her.

"I love you."

 With that, they both leaned and captured each other's lips in a passionate lip-lock. She dug her fingers through his soft white locks while his hands crawled teasingly on her waist and back. She broke away to have some hair and muttered an "I love you too." before taking his lips again. She's slowly moving to his jaw when she remembered something and sweatdropped.

"Before we continue Allen-kun…" Allen stopped kissing her neck and faced her.

"Hmm?"

"Help me with nii-san first."

…

Allen froze and groaned a bit. He was chased around with a chainsaw by the supervisor when he asked his permission to marry Lenalee in the future and suffered a day's worth of torture in the operation room. And now that Komui's beloved sister is pregnant by _him_…what will her brother do this time?

"Don't worry Allen-kun, brother will not let our child grow fatherless."

He chuckled at Lenalee's remark after a moment then nodded.

"I hope so."

* * *

**AN:** I was cleaning up my documents when I saw this in Word. This was made a year ago for a friend which I didn't have a chance posting in my old account. I thought it would be a shame to just delete it so there! Chapters 2 & 3 are already done but I'll have to proofread them first so no updates until…next week? That is, if you want me to continue this.

Anyway, sorry for any grammatical or typo errors. Reviews are very much welcomed! Flames though…well you can post it, but I won't give a damn. XD That's all, good day folks!


	2. The Prelude

Warning: major OOC-ness and fluff ahead!

Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray-Man T.T

* * *

"Do you need anything Allen-kun?"

Lenalee stared worriedly at the grown exorcist lying on his bed as he slowly blinked away the heaviness of sleep and pain from his eyes. His left arm rested on his forehead before moving to massage his temples and groan.

"L-Lenalee? Is that you?"

Allen slowly glanced to his right to see his fiancée sitting on a chair beside his bed. He noticed the slight blackness around her eyes and the loss of color from her face. He frowned and tried to get up but pain shot through his body. He winced.

"Don't move Allen-kun." Lenalee scolded while gently pushing him to bed.

He didn't complain and returned to bed but still remained staring at her with a concerned look. He frowned a bit.

"You look fatigued."

Lenalee smiled. "I've been here since yesterday."

"What?" Allen's brows narrowed at her. "You shouldn't strain yourself at your condition! What if something happened and you and the baby…"

"I was worried about you!"

Lenalee frowned at him as she put on a small pout. How can she not worry? It's been a day since the two of them had told Komui the news of her pregnancy. They thought her brother wouldn't exaggerate since he already gave Allen his permission, but no. He had her locked up in a room while he tortured her poor Allen with "improvement surgeries". When she was released, she was greeted with an unconscious Allen sprawled on the floor and full of bloodstained bandages. She ignored her brother since then.

Allen stared at her for a few more moments then sighed. He gingerly took her hand in his.

"Yeah, but…I'm worried about you too." He winced slightly. "I can take care of myself. Go ahead and rest in your room. I have to prepare for my mission."

Her face fell slightly at what he said. In the next few hours, Allen will be leaving for the classified mission, a mission that may take a long time to complete. He might not be able to see their child come into the world. At that thought, she lightly touched her womb as if telling their unborn child not to worry. That daddy will still come back and mommy will take care of him. She blinked when she felt a larger hand on top of hers – his innocence hand.

"I'll try to come back before your delivery Lenalee." Allen stated without doubt. He smiled.

"Please wait for me."

-/-/-

-/-/-

She did leave Allen in his room and took a rest on her own. That was , if only she had been given the time. The news of her pregnancy swept through the Order like a tidal wave and before she could even close her eyes to sleep, her door burst open and in came her exorcist friends.

"Is it true Lenalee?" Lavi demanded with an anxious grin when he jumped to her bed. Three other people came in.

Lenalee sweatdropped with a blush.

"If you're talking about my pregnancy then it's true."

Gasps erupted from the listeners (except one) at her answer. Miranda stuttered as a red blush formed on her cheeks while Krory began crying. Kanda only remained frowning.

"O-Oh my! I d-don't know what to say Lenalee-chan…"

"I'm so happy for you Lenalee! (sob)"

Lavi grinned more and playfully poked Lenalee's arm. "So Allen finally did _it _huh? Took him forever to act!"

At the redhead's remark, Lenalee blushed more and slapped his finger. She cleared her throat then looked away as if embarrassed.

"F-For your information, Allen-kun _isn't_ the one who initiated it. So stop assuming things about him."

…

"Oooohhh."

Miranda blushed more, Lavi squealed and Krory stopped crying. Kanda only remained being Kanda.

"Oh my gawd!" Lavi acted like a school girl. "I didn't know you're that kind of girl Lenalee! Allen's _sooo_ lucky!"

"Tch." Kanda suddenly muttered. He stared Lenalee. "Tell me moyashi's not taking responsibility and I'll cut off his head and sell his hair to geezers."

The girl smiled nervously. "Don't worry. He won't run away."

"Yeah." Lavi cut in before sneering at Kanda. "Allen already told Komui. That's the reason why he's found half-dead yesterday. You're late in news as usual Yuu."

"Che. Whatever, I'm outta here." Kanda walked towards the door then stopped. He glared at Lavi.

"And don't call me with that name you stupid rabbit!"

"Waah! I'm scared!"

After a few more minutes of teasing and bickering (courtesy of Lavi and Kanda), they finally realized that the lady in issue needed to rest and finally left her after a word of apology and congratulations. She smiled at that. It's a good thing she had such supportive friends.

She ran her fingers along the cold sheets of her bed. With a blush, she slowly laid on it, her body facing the wall as she caressed the surface to her right – the side where Allen had slept on that night. She closed her eyes. It was true when she told Lavi that Allen didn't said anything about _it_. She was the one who wanted something to happen. It was her birthday and they had been together for 4 years, besides the fact that she had turned into an adult of 21 years old. There's nothing more she wanted that night but to have him and for him to have her. Then she forgot to take note that it was her fertile week and before she knew it, she was vomiting at the ladies' room weeks later.

"Mama's going to rest now." She whispered as she patted her still flat womb.

She remembered being scared at first. That's why she hadn't told Allen right away. She was scared of the new responsibility, the possibilities and outcomes of her new situation, of what Allen might say or do once he knew of her condition. And then she started having dreams of a house with Allen, her, and a child – a beautiful child smiling at the two of them, at _her_.

It was then she realized she wants the child. The baby was the proof of her love for Allen and his love for her, the embodiment of their hopes and the future they had wished for. So she told him that time 2 nights ago. She was glad he thought the same way.

-/-/-

-/-/-

She had woken up early enough to go and help Allen pack the things he would be needing in his long journey. There was not much, only a few set of clothes, exorcist uniforms, the badge of a general, his wallet, a map, and a silver-chained necklace with a cross-shaped pendant which he wore around his neck and tucked beneath his uniform. It was her gift for his 20th birthday.

"Take this one Lenalee." Allen suddenly muttered as he handed a pocket-sized book. She opened it. It was his account book.

"Allen-kun," Lenalee widened her eyes. "This is…I can't possibly-

"Use it." The male cut in with a smile. "It's enough to cover your pregnancy expenses."

She looked worried. "I can't! This is your money Allen-kun. You earned this! Besides, the debts General Cross has –

Allen interrupted her again. "They're all paid. And if he still has, I'm no longer obliged to pay it. I'm already a general after all."

Lenalee remained skeptical and kept silent. She was staring at the digits displayed on the account book. It contains a LOT of zeros, so much that she's afraid it can even support another 2 persons. Allen noticed her doubt and her unwillingness to accept what he's offering. He sighed and curled her fingers around the small book then pushed it gently to her chest. He smiled again.

"I didn't tell you that since the day since we confessed 4 years ago, I've been saving up my money. I already decided that time that I'll be marrying you some day and start a family. It's a good thing we pulled through the war. I don't know where I'll be putting that money in case I…but, oh well…"

He approached her and pulled her to a hug.

"That money is for you Lenalee. For you and our child. Spend it for your needs and wants. I'll be happy if you use it."

He nervously chuckled. "Besides, I don't want Komui-san to think I'm a useless man who can't support his family."

Lenalee was still silent, but not from doubt. It's from the sudden admiration she felt for her beau and the thankfulness she wanted to express to God. '_Thank you for giving me this man. I couldn't ask for more.'_ She eventually snaked her arms around his waist and back, the account book dangling between her fingers.

"Thank you so much Allen-kun. I'll make good use of this." Allen nodded.

"And don't worry about spending all of it. I have 3 or 4 more on different banks."

Lenalee froze. "Really? How much each?"

"I don't really know." Allen replied after taking a moment to think. He shrugged and grinned.

"If you need some more, you can take the others from _there_."

-/-/-

-/-/-

Allen's mission unexpectedly leaked out from Komui's office so they were surprised to see the _whole_ Order waiting at the gate to bid him farewell. They didn't know the details but they knew that the general's mission was the road to their dreams. If he succeeds, it will surely bring them to the life they wished for.

Allen was overwhelmed upon seeing so much people waiting for him outside. From the finders, the scientists, to the nurses…all of them are there to give him their hopes and good luck.

"Please be careful Allen-kun." Miranda stated with worry. "I won't be there to use my Time Recovery so please…please don't die! I will punish myself for the rest of my life if something happened to you!"

Allen sweatdropped. "I won't Miranda-san. Thank you for your concern."

Krory was sobbing as usual when he went to the younger exorcist. He placed a hand on Allen's shoulder.

"I'm proud of you Allen. I wish I can go and help you but I'm afraid I can't."

"It's ok Krory. You have done enough."

"Oh geez. Stop with the sentimentalities." Lavi suddenly blurted out when he appeared from the crowd and went beside Krory. He grinned at Allen.

"I won't bid you good luck since I know you'll come back anyway." His face flashed seriousness.

"You're having a family now so don't act recklessly, Allen."

"You don't have to remind me." Allen said as he smirked.

Then suddenly, there was a drawn sword on his throat. Allen's smirk widened as he recognized the blade. It was Mugen.

"Don't you dare not come back, moyashi." Kanda hissed behind Allen. "I'll cut your corpse into pieces and feed it to the dogs if you even dared to try to run away."

Allen pushed the blade out from his throat with his innocence hand. He turned around and faced the samurai.

"Whatever. Then my ghost will hunt you every single night until you rot in hell." He smirked a bit then whispered so lightly,

"Look after Lenalee for me."

Kanda was surprised for a moment then smirked back. He sheathed his Mugen and stared at the white-haired exorcist.

"You have the nerve to order me around moyashi." He then whispered back. "I'll make sure she's safe then."

When satisfied, Allen turned his back from kanda and came face to face with the person who changed his whole life – the girl he loves...and her…err…_concerned_ brother.

"I'm still not pleased with the fact that you tainted my Lenalee, Allen Walker."

A kick and a shriek.

"F-Fine! Don't be angry Lenalee!" Komui cleared his throat and stared at the now grown exorcist in front of him.

Upon looking at the handsome face of the young man, Komui can't help and can't stop himself from being proud. He still remembered the day Allen first arrived at the Order. He was just a harmless-looking 15-year-old boy that time. Who would have thought that he would grow into an accomplished and respectable man? A hero in fact – the savior of the world. He inwardly grinned. They were lucky to have him fighting by their side.

He still hates him for taking Lenalee away from him, though.

He gave a serious nod. "Now, I want you to return here immediately after you completed your mission. We have a lot to discuss."

The younger male sweatdropped. "Yes sir."

Komui smiled. "We have a lot of things to talk about…such as the wedding venue, the guests, and the food…oh! And of course Lenalee should wear the most beautiful gown! Oh my gosh! My Lenalee is so grown up – OUCH!"

Another kick and a shriek.

"That's all general! Good luck on your mission!"

As Lavi teased Komui and the others laughed at the supervisor, Lenalee sighed and slowly walked up to Allen, stopping when she's a foot away from him. She stared at him for a moment then reached out to smoothen out his uniform.

"Be safe Allen-kun." She whispered with a smile while holding back tears. "I don't have to remind you to eat your meals regularly but please don't exaggerate."

"And avoid sleeping in cold places, you might end up sick. If that happens, however, drink medicine quickly. Oh, and don't push yourself too far. You tend to overexert yourself and you might end up –

"Lenalee."

She stopped talking at the finger pressed on her lips. Slowly, tears fell from her eyes and she sobbed. She wiped her tears.

"I'm sorry Allen-kun." She choked. "I was planning to see you off with a smile but I guess I can't do that now."

"Lenalee…"Allen went nearer her and caressed her cheeks while wiping her tears. He smiled tenderly at her.

"Don't worry about me. It's ok, I'll be fine on my own."

He tucked a strand of her hair to her ear. "Be careful too. I want to see you in good condition when I return."

"I love you Allen-kun." Lenalee stated as she looked up to him.

Allen gripped her chin. "I love you too."

Cheers erupted when the two leaned in and captured each other's lips in a sweet kiss. Komui was screaming objections in the background while Lavi and the others restrained him. Before it can become more heated, Allen pulled away and instead took her into an embrace. He held her tight.

"I'll be back." He whispered. "Whatever happens, I'll be back."

He pulled away again before Lenalee could utter a reply then turned around, his back facing her. He walked a few steps towards the exit then stopped. He sidestepped then smiled at them – his friends, his family…his love.

"See you soon."

* * *

AN: Waah! Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed, favorited and alerted this story! I didn't expect to have reviews in the 1st chap, even more to have this added into your fave and alert list! And for that, I made this chapter longer than before!

On a side note, I'm sorry for taking long to update. XD I was busy with other things so…ok no more excuses! As compensation, I'll be posting the next chapter by tomorrow or Wednesday. And again, sorry for the errors.

I hope you enjoy this chap as much as I do! Please review! Good day peeps! ;)


	3. The Shopping part 1

**As promised, here is chapter 3. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: D. Gray-Man's not mine…

* * *

It's been three months since Allen had left for the classified mission, and as much as Lenalee tried to hide it, she still felt lonely.

She's used to seeing Allen's face every day. From walking into the cafeteria to see him gobbling loads of food to staring at the stars with him every night, she always just _had_ to see his face, and of course his smile. Especially now since she started showing and she wanted him to be there. But then, she can't do anything about it at the moment.

She sighed as she turned to the other side while lying on Allen's bed. Yes, on _his _bed. Lately, she's been sleeping in his room, hoping to catch even a remainder of his presence in there. Then she could go to sleep. It's the third time she slept in there that week.

"Good morning baby."

She whispered with a smile as she gave an affectionate pat on her womb – which was now obviously swelling due to the life forming inside of her. She's five months pregnant now, only four more months to go. At that thought, she can't help but feel excited. She finally sat up when she's fully awake and carefully did the sheets on the bed. After arranging the pillows, she frowned and stood straight, wondering why she's feeling breathless all of the sudden. When she looked down to her tummy, she finally realized what it is: her clothes.

The night gown which was usually loose enough was now tight around her midsection, making it hard for her to breathe. She approached the life sized mirror near the bed and sighed when she saw her reflection.

Her tummy was, well, bulging. It made her look like she had a major food festival and she didn't like it. What happened to the figure she maintained in five consecutive years? That slim, _sexy_ body she worked hard to earn just to see Allen's blush whenever she waltz in front of him? She remembered those diets and extra training, those hard times that led her to have that figure every woman wanted. She was _that_ desperate to make Allen stop dead in his tracks and make him follow her every move with his eyes. She had wanted Allen to say she's beautiful.

She giggled cheekily upon remembering, again, that night. At least her work paid off and she got a lot more than "you're beautiful". She stared at herself again at the mirror, this time long and unwavering.

She smiled.

Her form is not really that bad. In fact, she looked blooming and she knew the reason why. She rubbed her stomach and looked at her body at the mirror from side to side. She's still beautiful alright. She just had to fix her wardrobe.

-/-/-

-/-/-

It didn't take long before she realized she was getting special treatment from all of the Order. For instance, the finders and her co-exorcists would always greet her in the hallways and ask her condition. Then at the cafeteria, the others would let her go first in the line and some would even carry her tray for her. Then Jerry would have a special menu reserved for her, containing all the food that suits her cravings and the nutritious ones that can help improve her health. In short, she was being spoiled.

"You can't blame them Lenalee." Lavi said as he chewed on an apple from his tray. He grinned at her after swallowing the piece he bit off from the fruit.

"It's not every day that a female exorcist gets pregnant." He continued. "In fact, there are almost no records of exorcists having a child during their stay here. Your case is like a never before seen event."

Lenalee sighed. "I know. But they don't have to treat me like I'm the queen here or something. It's embarrassing and…it makes me guilty."

Lavi smirked. "That's the child of a general. And not just any other general at that. It's general Allen Walker – the Destroyer of time. The one who annihilated the Earl. The one who saved the whole world."

He looked at Lenalee's womb. "Basically, you're nurturing a celebrity there."

"That's the point." Lenalee sighed again. "I just want to have a peaceful pregnancy. A period where I can just relax while I wait for Allen-kun and the baby."

The redhead smirked again. "That's what we're doing. We're making sure you're just relaxed and not tired or something."

"-sigh-"

"And about the peaceful thing, I doubt you're gonna get it. You're going to be the wife of THE Allen Walker, which makes you pretty much a celebrity too."

He finished the apple. "That reminds me, I heard from Panda-jii that the Central Office will keep an eye on you from now on."

"Eh?" Lenalee suddenly felt afraid. "Is it because of the baby? Are they against it?"

"Relax. They're not against it." Lavi drank from his glass of water. "Like what I told you, having pregnant exorcists in the line of duty is very rare. In fact, the last time it happened was nearly a century ago."

"So they want to investigate me."

"Something like that. They will probably demand a report about your status every now and then until you delivered. Then when the baby's born, they will switch to watching the child instead."

"And why would they do that?"

"To see if the child has special abilities of some sort." Lavi glanced at her. "Especially your baby. Being the child of a legendary parasitic type and an exceptional exorcist such as yourself, they're going to observe your child until he grows up. That's for sure."

Lenalee frowned. "They may watch my child if they want to. But if they're going to put him into experiments or something, I'm going to _kill_ them."

Lavi sweatdropped. "Don't worry, they'll just observe. Besides, Rouvelier's gone now. There's no one in the Central Office who's against you and Allen anymore."

"That makes me relieved." The female muttered. The redhead chuckled.

"Yeah. But that doesn't mean you're free from being a popular icon."

True enough to Lavi's words, she was a celebrity. On the hallways, female exorcists and finders would always greet her and ask if they could touch her womb and see her engagement ring. Yes, her engagement ring which she had been wearing since that night she told Allen she's pregnant. Apparently, he's been meaning to give her the ring that night too since he's going away already. The ring was composed of a silver band with a princess-cut diamond on the middle, then smaller pieces of the stone studded the larger one, two on each side. It was beautiful…she had asked Allen how much it was but he only shrugged and said her smile's worth it.

"You're so lucky Lenalee-san!"

One female exorcist said with a few other female finders and exorcists behind her. All of them are staring at her ring. Lenalee wondered at that. She didn't know why they can't get enough of seeing her ring again and again.

"General Walker is so handsome and cool." A finder remarked after a moment. "He's _the_ savior. Any girl would dream of being his wife and the mother of his children!"

Lenalee's eye twitched. Somehow, she doesn't like the sound of that. The finder noticed her annoyance so she quickly added a continuation to her remark.

"Of course that's just a dream!" the other's nodded. "We all know the general's deeply in love with you! And we're really happy for the two of you!"

A smile. "Thank you very much."

-/-/-

-/-/-

Since she didn't have anything else to do, she went straight to the Science Department and was immediately greeted by the scientists and researchers there. She greeted them back then apologized for not being able to bring a tray of coffee like what she usually do – to which the scientist shrugged it off with a smile, saying that it was nothing. After some talks, she went to her brother's office.

"Lenalee! Good timing!" Reever suddenly greeted as he approached her. He was holding a pile of clothes. He grinned at her.

"Your brother went to the Central Office to report about you and Allen's status. He –

"Allen-kun?" Lenalee immediately gushed out. She grabbed his arm. "Did he call? Or write? Is he ok? What happened?"

Reever looked confused. "You don't know? He called yesterday. He said he's on his way to America. Supervisor talked to him."

Lenalee's brow twitched. "Brother! Why didn't he tell me?"

"A-Anyway…"Reever cut in nervously. He pushed the clothes he's holding to her. "Why don't you try these new uniforms out?"

The female's thoughts were suddenly put to a halt at what Reever said. She blinked and stared at the clothes given to her. She held it up in front of her.

It was a dirty white long dress with a turtle neck and skin-tight sleeves that ends on her hands, a silver zipper was on the back from the neck to the spot before her butt. It was pretty.

"Is this for me?" she frowned a bit. " I appreciate your effort Reever but…it's based on my old size. How can this fit?"

Reever grinned. "That's made from special super flexible leather that will expand and adjust to your size automatically. It should be easy for you to slip on."

"Really?" the young woman asked with excitement. "Can I put it on now?"

"Sure."

After a few minutes of changing at the restroom, Lenalee emerged at the office wearing the long dress. She had a happy grin on her face as she twirled carefully in front of Reever.

"It looks good on you." Reever commented. Lenalee grinned wider.

"You're right. It's easy to slip on and really adjusted to my size. It's comfortable." She smiled at him.

"Thank you."

"Anything for General Walker's wife." The scientist teased, making Lenalee blush. He chuckled and gave another cloth to her.

"That's a coat that you can put over the dress, just to hide your stomach and for additional protection. It's made from the same materials as the dress."

Lenalee gratefully took it. The coat was colored royal dark blue with small puff sleeves on her shoulders. It extends to her wrists where the sleeves widen. Chinese style buttons lined the middle from the top to above the midsection. It ended a foot from the dress' hem.

"It's pretty too." She remarked as she put on the coat. "But it's not black. It doesn't look like a uniform."

Reever nodded as he took another set. "Well, your brother said it's not nice for pregnant women to wear black. And I agree with him."

"You're right." Lenalee saw the other set. She sweatdropped. "That's yellow and orange."

"Yeah. Well," the scientist sighed. "Supervisor picked the colors."

As much as she appreciated her new uniforms, she still felt she needed to change her wardrobe. After all, her nightgowns are all too fitted now as well as her casual clothes. Even her bras won't do anymore. She sighed as she took off the measuring tape from her bosom.

"Great. I'm almost two sizes bigger. That's why I can't breathe."

She sat on Allen's bed (she's at his room again) and took something from inside a drawer of a side table. It was the account book. She nervously opened it and stared at the amount indicated inside.

'_Should I or should I not?'_

"_That money is for you Lenalee. For you and our child. Spend it for your needs and wants. I will be happy if you use it."_

That's what Allen had told her upon giving the account book. She _needs _and_ wants_ to have a new set of wardrobe and she knew she shouldn't hesitate on using his money since he said it's ok. But what bothers her is the amount she would be spending.

'_I know I'll be using quite an amount today and I've used up some already from the hospital at the town and from buying the vitamins…'_ she thought as she mentally calculated her expenses. _'What if I'm already abusing the money?'_

"_If you need some more, you can take the other from there."_

She remembered. Allen had mentioned that he has three or four more account books but from different banks. And he said she can take those if the one he gave is not enough. She thought for a moment and stared at the clown painting above her head.

…

She crawled on the bed and stood on the cushion in front of the painting. She held the frame and with careful movements, she took the painting from the wall and placed it on the pillow. In front of her now is a vault with a small keypad on the middle.

She breathed. She's just going to check how much Allen really saved so she can decide if she should continue to shop. That way, she won't be afraid to spend the initial account book. She finally pushed in letters on the keypad as they displayed on the small screen.

"K-O-M-U-I."

Yeah. Who would have thought Allen would use her brother's name as the password? She waited three seconds then there was a click and the vault opened. She smiled and peered inside the steel hideout. There were a few receipts and papers but on the middle are four account books, all different from each other in logo and color.

She took them all and laid them on her lap. So it really was true that he had accounts on many banks. She opened a red one and looked at the contents.

She gasped.

The amount was twice as many as the one he gave her, and to think the one she's using is already BIG. She closed it and opened the next…then the next…and the next. By the time she closed the last book, she was already frozen in the spot with her eyes wide as it can get. She was rendered speechless. For one, the amount keeps getting bigger with each account book and the intervals of the total from each book is the same as the total of the one she's using. In short, if she added up all the account books…

'_Allen-kun…I'm truly amazed…'_

She didn't know Allen was _that_ rich. Screw that, he's almost a billionaire! And he even confessed he's been saving since they told each other of their feelings. So it only took him 4 years to save up all of that money? Just how big was a general's income anyway?

'_Oh, right.'_ She sweatdropped. How can she forget? During those times, Allen had also been frequently gambling in large casinos. Maybe that's where the money came from…

She immediately returned the books on the vault and locked it. She placed the painting on top of it to hide its location again. Those account books shouldn't be exposed in public.

She sighed deeply then nodded as she stood up, the account book she's using on her pocket. With a determined face, she exited Allen's room. She's going shopping now.

* * *

AN: This is a rather uneventful chapter…but don't worry! The action's going to start next chap!. Please wait for the next update!


	4. The Shopping part 2

Warning: major OOC-ness and fluff!

Disclaimer: I don't own -Man and other references used in this story.

* * *

It's a good thing her brother's not around. Because if he was, then he'll surely volunteer to be her shopping companion - which was not what Lenalee wanted. As much as she loved her brother, his fashion sense's off when it came to her. She'll definitely end up in frills and laces if that's the case.

So she settled to going out with one of her friends. Her first choice was Miranda. Set aside the woman's worrisome antics, she's still her best friend and of course, it would be better to go shopping with someone of the same gender. But when she asked Reever where the woman was,

"Oh, she and Krory went out to fetch some documents from the West Headquarters. You're pregnant after all and we can't abuse our assistant supervisor so we asked them."

Lenalee sighed. Her first choice was not available so who's on the list next? She thought for a moment then faced Reever.

"What about Lavi?"

"He was dragged by Bookman somewhere. They'll probably come back tomorrow."

She sighed again. This time Reever noticed her distress and stopped what he was doing. He inquired the young woman.

"Do you need some help Lenalee? You seem to want to have a companion..."

Lenalee blinked at what the older said. It hit her bulls-eye. She was about to ask him if he wants to accompany her but looking at those impossibly humongous piles of documents stacked at the majority of the room made her change her mind. She didn't want to disrupt their work because of her shopping.

"Lenalee?"

"Hmm?" she snapped back to reality. "Oh! It's nothing really...I just want to buy a few things, but it's ok! I can handle it myself!"

Reever looked doubtful. "Really? You could just ask some finders to buy them for you, you know."

"I can't do that." Lenalee retorted. "They'll think I'm acting like a queen just because I'm pregnant with Allen-kun's child. Besides, they got their hands full on other tasks."

Reever was meaning to volunteer to help, but he was also packed with duties left by Komui. It also seemed that Lenalee had no intention of asking him either. He can't stop her also. It might distress her and the baby. So having no options left, he just smiled at her and agreed.

"Then be careful Lenalee." He muttered and returned back to work. "Both you and your baby's life are precious."

Lenalee grinned. "I know. Don't worry, I'll be ok."

And so, Lenalee happily walked towards the Order's gate to start her shopping expedition. She had a lot to cover so she should start quickly. She patted the pocket on her coat. But of course, she's not going to spend all of Allen's precious money.

The gate suddenly opened before she can approach it and in came Kanda who finally arrived after training at the mountains.

"Welcome back Kanda."

The swordsman didn't say anything for a moment and just continued walking towards the Order. He already passed her when he suddenly stopped midway and turned around. His eyes narrowed.

"Where are you going?"

His sudden question surprised Lenalee, which made her stop on her tracks. She also turned to face him.

"I'm going to shop some clothes."

Kanda raised an eyebrow and wondered for a moment why she would shop for more clothes. Then he remembered she's pregnant and her clothes might not fit her anymore. He inwardly scowled.

_'I hate shopping.'_

But that's not the reason why he twitched his eyebrows and suddenly approached the girl, stopping when he's already 3 steps away from her.

"I'll go with you." Lenalee blinked. Did she hear it right? The male noticed her surprise and sighed. He arranged Mugen under his coat.

"Just go already. I'll watch your back."

It took a few more moments for Lenalee to finally realize Kanda's intention. It was very uncommon for him to volunteer in watching out for a comrade during off missions, so who was she for not grabbing the opportunity? Besides, she still needed a companion. She smiled after her contemplations.

"Alright." She went beside him. "Then I'll be counting on you Kanda."

Kanda nodded then started walking with her towards the gate. _'You should be thanking me moyashi!'_

-/-/-

-/-/-

Lenalee first went to the bank to withdraw money from Allen's account. Since she still felt guilty for shopping, she only took a small amount - just enough to buy some clothes and a few pairs of comfortable shoes. After that, they immediately went to the shopping district, where Lenalee marched straight to the line of shops selling maternity clothes. Kanda only followed closely behind.

He didn't really pay much attention on his surroundings and only followed the girl wherever she goes. When Lenalee entered a shop, he would just stay outside and wait until she came out either holding a shopping bag or not. He also noticed that Lenalee was picky. She wouldn't spend much time on a shop if she didn't like the merchandise. But if she did like the items, it would take her almost an hour before she goes to another.

After visiting at least six shops, he grew tired of standing outside in the heat of the sun and quickly glanced through the glass window of the current shop Lenalee entered. He scanned the area inside to see if there were any chairs he could sat on. He briefly blushed when he saw some women's lingerie displayed but still continued on looking for seats. Luckily, he found some. So without thinking further and disregarding the embarrassing displays, he went inside the boutique and plopped himself on one of the seats. He dropped the shopping bags he's been holding on the floor then crossed his arms and waited in silence. That is, until 5 seconds later.

Apparently, a saleslady noticed him arrive with Lenalee at the shop and had been watching him since then. A smile was on her lips as she approached him.

"I thought you would grow tired waiting outside, sir. It's a good thing you went in."

Kanda remained silent.

"She's very pretty you know. That young woman who came with you."

He still ignored her.

"She's fitting some dresses. It won't be long before she's done."

Again, ignorance.

"We had a customer once, she suddenly had a mood swing while choosing and..."

Kanda started to become irritated. Won't she just shut up?

"...we were really nervous, and the husband was like 'What the hell are you doing to my wife?' then we..."

Kanda was inching to wrap that ridiculous ribbon on her hair around her mouth.

But he didn't and chose to just ignore her further and meditate. If she can't stop talking, then he'll just pretend to listen even if he's not. He closed his eyes and the girl still continued talking animatedly. He tried to meditate but he can still pick up some of her words. It irritated him more. Why won't she just close her mouth anyway? It's not like he _invited_ her to talk!

"So, how long since you two were married sir?"

Silence...

Kanda had picked up the whole question and had opened his eyes in surprise. Screw the meditation. He slowly tilted his head to face the girl standing beside him. She was innocently waiting for his answer. His eyebrow twitched. So she thought...?

"She's -

"(chuckle) We're not married miss."

They turned to see Lenalee standing in front of them, a shopping bag clasped by her hands. She began to chuckle at them, which made the saleslady more embarrassed.

"He's a very good friend of mine." Lenalee continued. "He's accompanying me while my fiance's away."

"Oh..." the saleslady muttered. "Oh! I'm so sorry for assuming!"

Kanda snorted while Lenalee smiled. "It's ok. Not all people knew that anyway."

She gave her companion a signal that she's done. Kanda inwardly sighed in relief then crouched down to pick up the shopping bags on the floor. They went to the glass door to leave, the saleslady following them.

"I'm really sorry!" she bowed. "Thank you for shopping! Please come again!"

Lenalee started laughing again the moment they left the shop. Kanda was scowling beside her.

"Can you please stop now?" the girl shook her head as she calmed herself.

"I'm sorry Kanda." She muttered. "Your reaction is so funny! And that saleslady was making such a fuss about it!"

"Che. I didn't know a talkative girl like her existed."

"She seemed nice though..." Lenalee glanced at Kanda. "You should go there sometimes."

Kanda stared at her in disbelief. "And why the hell would I do that?"

Lenalee grinned. "I don't know, befriend her?" at Kanda's glare, "Come on! You're 23 now and you still hadn't gotten a girlfriend! The Earl's dead now and your life was saved! Isn't it time you experience love?"

"I don't need such petty things." Kanda quickly retorted. "And it's not as if I found her attractive. She's as flat as a pancake and her hairstyle's ridiculous."

"Aw. But her ribbon made her look cute!" Lenalee replied, the grin still on her face. "There's nothing wrong in being friends with her. I even sensed some chemistry between you two!"

"Just shut up. And stop trying to act like Lavi. You look stupid."

"(giggle) Hmph. Fine."

He glanced at the bags he's holding. "Anyway, are you done now? Or do you still want to go somewhere else?"

"I'm done with the shopping. I just need one more _very important _thing."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"What the hell are we doing here?"

Kanda's eyes twitched. He endured going around town holding _pink_ and _blue_ shopping bags, he endured standing for hours in the middle of noon, he endured going inside a boutique full of _women's_ clothes, he endured that impossibly talkative girl. He endured it all. And now, this?

Lenalee grinned sheepishly with her eyes sparkling in delight. She read the sign hanging on the post beside the entrance:

_**Candy Shop **_

She grinned more. "I've been craving for _that_ since last week you know."

Kanda was about to say he's not going in. But Lenalee grabbed his arm in an iron grip and dragged him to the entrance, saying she's going to buy a lot and she will be needing his help. He only scowled more. What was with pregnant women and their cravings?

The moment they entered the sweet-smelling shop, Lenalee quickly scanned the area as if finding something. Her eyes sparkled upon seeing what she wanted and quickly went to the shopkeeper.

"3 boxes of Peloripop lollipops please!"

The old man almost dropped his jaw. "W-W-What?...umm...w-what flavor miss?"

"It doesn't matter. Just give me the Peloripop brand."

The shopkeeper didn't say anything further and quickly went inside his storage to get what the young lady ordered. But he can't still believe it. Someone had ordered THE Peloripop brand! No one ever liked the taste of those lollipops and it was said that only the ones with a very strong fighting spirit can eat it. How can a sweet-looking girl like her want it?

After about two minutes, the old man returned holding 3 _deliver sized_ boxes. One box was big enough to hold half of the shopping bags. He tied a durable string around them for easier carrying. Kanda only stared at them as if the boxes were mutated or something.

"Here's our pay." Lenalee said in delight. "Thank you very much!"

Because of the bulk, Kanda ended up carrying the boxes in one hand while his other held half of the shopping bags. Lenalee carried half which consisted of the lighter ones. They went back to Order through the underground waterway and soon enough, they're inside Lenalee's room.

"Just put them there Kanda." Lenalee pointed out to her desk. The samurai then carefully placed the boxes and the bags there. He sighed.

"I'll be leaving now."

He was at her door in an instant but before he could even take a step out of her room, Lenalee dropped the bags on her bed then rushed to her desk.

"Wait Kanda!"

The samurai did stop and waited, a scowl on his lips again. _'What is it this time?'_ Lenalee only fussed on her desk then walked to him after some time. She smiled.

"Thank you for today, and sorry for taking your time." She took his hand and placed something on his palm.

"Have a nice day!"

CLICK.

And the door was closed. Kanda stared at the item in his hand. His eyebrow twitched.

It was a lollipop.

"And who would eat something like this?" he mumbled as if insulted.

But somehow, curiosity formed within him and he continued to stare at the candy again - at the thin white plastic stick and the small sphere-like object wrapped in shiny yellow wrapper with cursive lettering that reads "Peloripop", then below it was a smaller lettering that says "Soba flavor".

Kanda raised an eyebrow. Who would make a candy with a flavor of a food like soba? Was there even sense to it? Like hell he would eat something as repulsive as a soba-flavored lollipop!

"..."

But curiosity was continually eating him alive, especially after reading "Soba flavor" again and again. It was flavored after his favorite food - his _favorite_ food. And as much as he hated admitting it, he _really liked_ soba. For him, anything with soba would be delicious.

"..."

He tried to resist the temptation, but it was too late. With a shaking hand, he slowly unwrapped the candy, revealing a brownish black ball on top of the stick. He gulped.

Silence...

With a quick move, he popped the candy inside his mouth, his fingers holding the stick. He remained standing there until a somewhat jolt of lightning went through his body. He stared at the wrapper in amazement.

_'It's...'_

_'It's...'_

He adjusted the candy on his mouth.

_'It's soba!'_

He carefully looked sideways, not wanting anyone to see that he had just eaten something childish like a lollipop. He smirked when no one's around then quietly started walking towards his room. _'Maybe I could drop by that candy shop sometimes.'_

_-/-/-_

_-/-/-_

Lenalee was humming happily as she sucked on a "Mackarel Miso" flavored lollipop. She wondered for a moment if Kanda had eaten the lollipop she had given him. She had looked for the "Soba" flavor after all, and it would be such a waste if he didn't even taste it. Then again, it's not like she's expecting him to actually eat it. Judging by his character, he would probably just throw the candy away. But it would also be really funny if Kanda did ate the lollipop. She giggled at the picture of her friend sucking on the lollipop then shook her head after a few seconds. She might as well ask Kanda later. She took out the clothes from the shopping bags one by one then placed them on her bed. She sat on the cushion then began looking through them again.

_'Hmm...'_ she thought as she held a thin-strapped blue dress. _'Maybe the white one's better?'_

She shook her head and folded it. She placed it on her left side. It was then she noticed a package lying beside her pillow. She quirked an eyebrow in wonder then moved towards the package. There was a small note on top of it.

_**This arrived while you were out. It's from Allen. Don't worry, we won't tell the Head Officer.**_

_**-Reever**_

At the mention of the name on the note, Lenalee's face lit up and she excitedly tore the package paper. She stopped when a white box revealed itself in front of her. She cracked the candy she's sucking then chewed it. She swallowed the pieces after a few moments then threw the stick on her desk. She'll dispose it later. She took a deep breath then stared at the box.

She held the lid then slowly lifted it up. She placed it on her pillow then schemed the contents of the box. There's something wrapped in an opaque plastic then a small rectangular box lay beside it. An envelope on top of the little box caught her eye. She took it and quickly opened the letter inside.

_**Dear Lenalee,**_

_**How have you been? I'm sorry it took awhile before I could write again to you. I've been constantly moving from one place to another so I have no extra time to write a letter. I kept calling though, but Komui-san always says you were resting so I didn't bother you into talking on the phone.**_

Lenalee twitched her eyebrows as her eyes narrowed into a slit. She would have to "talk" to her brother once he returned. She continued reading.

_**I'm at Paris right now, but I'll probably be at America as you read this. I've been doing well and I'm not exhausting myself (like what you told me). I do eat my meals regularly, but I can't guarantee that I'm eating the amount you want me to eat, haha...Anyway, since I'll most likely move again after arriving at America, it might take awhile before I could write to you again. But I'll keep calling and I hope I can catch you while you're free.**_

"I'm always free Allen-kun." She muttered in a sigh. "I'll talk to Reever to get me a private phone."

_**By the way, as you can see, there are two smaller packages inside the box. I came upon those while walking and I can't help myself but to buy them. The one in the plastic is for our baby...maybe I'm too excited? (laughs) The one in the blue box with the white ribbon is for you. I hope you like it.**_

She glanced at the two said items then smiled. She'll open them after reading the letter.

_**I'm always thinking about you and our baby. I can't even sleep sometimes. I just stay awake and wonder what you are dreaming about, if you're also thinking about me.**_

Lenalee let a tear drop to the letter as she sobbed. "Of course Allen-Kun. You're the only one I kept thinking and dreaming about."

_**I miss you terribly. I want to see you very much but I will have to wait. I'll try to do things quickly so I can come back sooner.**_

"You don't have too." She whispered as more tears fell. "Just don't do risky and dangerous things...I won't be there to help you..."

_**I'll be careful. You should too. I'm sorry I can't be by your side in your condition and please, don't do everything by own. Try asking some help from Lavi and the others.**_

She chuckled amidst tears. _'They're already helping even without me asking. You should worry about yourself!'_

_**This will be the last part. Again, I miss you and I hope we could see each other very soon. I'm sorry if this letter is short. I love you more than anything.**_

_**-Allen**_

"I love you too..."

She whispered then kissed the letter lightly. At last, after a very long wait, Allen had finally written a letter for her again. She had been waiting for his call or even as simple as a postcard since the last letter she received - a letter which only included a request to her brother and a small "I love you." addressed to her. She didn't like it at all and the urgency shown from his handwriting only made her more worried. So finally reading a _real_ letter had eased her worries and fears away. She's finally asured that her love's alright. She pulled away after a few seconds then folded and returned the letter inside the envelope. She wiped her tears then took a deep breath.

When she calmed herself, she turned to the box and took the plastic. It was limp so she figured it might be something made from fabric. She pulled the tape that kept the plastic closed then reached inside. She was right, it was a cloth and a very soft one at that. She finally pulled it out. She smiled and giggled at what she saw.

It was a blanket, colored baby blue with yellow moon-star designs scattered throughout the surface. It was very cute.

"I'm sure our baby will like this." She patted her womb gently. "Right, baby?"

She placed the blanket on her lap then glanced at the remaining content in the package. She gently reached out and took it. She patiently untied the ribbon then placed it inside the white box. After that, she held the lid and pulled it upward.

She gasped.

It was a hairpin, a beautiful silver hairpin with a butterfly in one end. The butterfly is colored violet. When looked closely, its wings are filled with very small gems that sparkle violet, black and blue. Then dangling from the butterfly's middle are two small strings of the same gems, three on each string.

She ran a finger on the butterfly then blushed with a smile. Allen really does know how to surprise her. And when he does, he'll always leave her speechless. She giggled then tried the hairpin on her hair by pulling up a bun and tucking the pin to keep it in place. She went to her mirror and looked at herself. She nodded in contentment.

She didn't know if it's only natural or if it's the pin that Allen gave her, she looked more blooming than before.

* * *

**AN:** I would like again to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. Just reading your reviews makes my day and it inspires me more to continue this story. (I just hope there would be more allenXlenalee scenes in the manga for more inspiration T.T) Even if you don't review, it's ok. Just knowing someone out there reads my story is enough. (But it would really do me good if you leave a review or a constructive criticism. haha!)

Anyway, sorry for any errors (again!) whether in grammar or typo. I'm still struggling with my English so please forgive me! And about Allen...he won't be appearing until the later (sorry!) And I hope you don't mind having Lenalee again and again in the chaps. (This is more like narrated in her pov anyway)

By the way, peloripop lollipop is not mine. I borrowed it from a manga called Sket-Dance. You should try reading it. It's hilarious!

That's all. Until next chapter, my friends! Please review again!


	5. The Brother part 1

Warning: major OOC-ness

Disclaimer: D. Gray-Man is Katsura Hoshino's…

* * *

"Shut up."

It was a fine sunny morning at the Order. The exorcists were gratefully resting and doing what they wanted while the finders and scientists did their work in peacefulness…that was, it should had been. But something unexpected occurred and it won't be as peaceful as what they hoped.

"E-Eh? Did I say something –

"I said shut up. I don't want to hear it."

Apparently, it was one of those episodes again. Those times when the sweet and kind Lenalee turns into a completely different person through a process called…mood swing. The first time it happened, Lenalee was in her 4th month. She was just hanging around at the Science Department with her friends when suddenly, her aura changed and she began to speak harshly. Her temper shortened dramatically and her smile was replaced with an ominous frown. It freaked the whole department so much that they were forced to continue work in another place because Lenalee refused to leave and they were scared the hell out of the merciless glare in her void eyes.

They didn't even know the instigator of her mood swings. It would happen anytime, at any place and whatever was happening. She would suddenly change and the Lenalee they knew would be gone.

Lavi gulped and with a careful thought,

"Um…then, what do you want to talk about Lenalee?"

During those times that the female exorcist goes through her mood swing, they had found out that the safest way to deal with her was to not complain and do whatever she wanted. If she said she didn't want to see your face, then get the hell out of there. Because if you didn't, you'll suffer a line of curses, insults, and a bone-cracking-innocence-enhanced kick on wherever part she wanted to hit on your body – which would mean a traumatizing surgery at Komui's laboratory.

So now, in her 6th month when Lenalee woke up with that infamous aura and glare in her eyes, the people quickly steered away from her – leaving her friends to deal with the situation.

Lenalee's frown deepened. "I want my lollipop."

"Your what?" Lavi blinked. "Lollipop?"

"Yes you stupid eye-patch. Are you freaking deaf?" Lenalee retorted. "I. Want. My. Lollipop."

Miranda, Krory, Bookman, Marie, Chaoji and even Kanda cautiously sipped their tea in nervousness and slight fright. Lavi began trembling at Lenalee's glare on him.

"T-Then, do you want me to get one for you?"

"Of course idiot. Why would I even mention it if I don't want someone to get it for me? Or you want _me_ to get it? Well, I can. But if something happened to me, my dear and beloved Allen-kun will slice you to death with his awesome innocence after which I'll kick your asses to ensure you've suffered enough!"

"S-So I-I'm getting it now?"

"Ugh. Do you even have a commonsense? And you're supposed to be a fucking bookman! I. Want. It. Now!"

And so Lavi dashed out of the lounge to get the very precious lollipop from Lenalee's room. The other exorcists remained quiet after the redhead's leave. They won't risk a sound or a movement as it would mean an extra hour on Komui's operation room if they irritated Lenalee further.

To the exorcists' relief, Lavi returned shortly holding a box of the lollipops. It was for precaution.

"Here you go Lenalee." Lavi muttered as he handed a stick to the girl. Lenalee stared at it.

"Its wrapper is not freaking crumpled around properly dammit. I don't want that!"

Lavi placed the rejected lollipop on the table then picked another one from the box.

"H-How about this?"

"Its stick is not in the middle you moron."

"This?"

"Dumbass, I can't see the logo! The hell are you giving me the rejects?"

"Then this?"

"The edge of the stick is crooked. What if I get injured? Allen-kun will surely kill you!"

After 20 more tries…

"That _is_ the one. Do you even have a brain? It took you _sooo_ long just to figure out the right one! Bookman my pretty ass! You can't even distinguish a decent lollipop!"

Lavi was silently crying. That's the only thing he can do to prevent himself from snapping at Lenalee's bitch version. The others only stoned themselves the whole time. It's better than getting her attention.

So Lenalee sucked on her lollipop and for a moment, a small smile graced on her lips. It didn't go unnoticed by the others so they inwardly thanked Kami. It will soon be over. Lenalee will return to normal and they can resume to what they were doing.

'_Thank you so much Kami-sama! You are so merciful! You are so –'_

But suddenly, the smile disappeared and the aura worsened. Her eyes slitted and her frown deepened. That's not a good sign. Lenalee cracked the candy and noisily chewed the pieces in front of the others. They felt themselves twitch with each crack. After a tense moment of chewing, Lenalee finally swallowed the pieces then slammed the stick on the table.

"I want Allen-kun."

Now that made the exorcists dash in alarm to the Science Department. They can't take it anymore. If they didn't do something, Lenalee will surely wreck havoc in the Order!

"KOMUI!"

The Science Department was already aware of Lenalee's mood swings but they had chosen to continue working. After all, the exorcists were already dealing with her. So when the said people barged into the room screaming the supervisor's name, they thought the mood swing was already finished. Komui only smiled at them after sipping from his cup of coffee.

"Hmm? So it's over? We can finally –

"NO! IT'S NOT OVER!"

"What do you mean? Then why are you guys –

"SHE'S ASKING FOR ALLEN!"

Silence…

Komui spurted coffee on Reever's face. The Australian didn't notice. He was too busy being shocked. The Chinese wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

"Then give her Allen."

"ALLEN'S ON A CLASSIFIED MISSION! WE CAN'T JUST PULL HIM OUT!"

"Oh right! Ha ha! Then just give her the General's picture or something."

"We did! But she tore it! SHE TORE IT! She said she wants the real Allen! Not a stupid paper with her beloved's image!"

"What? She calls the brat beloved? How could she! My sweet Lenalee! Noo!"

"HEAD OFFICER!"

By that time, the Science Department was already panicking. All work had stopped as fear escalated around the place. Reever wiped his face with a towel after he recovered from his shock.

"This is bad." He muttered with seriousness. "I know that Lenalee's mood swings are dangerous. But for her to ask for General Walker…this has gotten serious."

Miranda agreed. "Y-You're right! She had never asked for Allen-kun before whenever she's moody."

The others nodded. "So what do we do now?"

All heads turned to Komui who was calmly sipping again on his coffee. They waited for a response. The head officer only stared back at them.

"I dunno."

"Argh! Supervisor, can you please take this seriou –

RIING!…RIING!…

Silence…

Their argument was paused with a mysterious ring from the telephone. Komui wiped his mouth again then went to his desk where the phone laid waiting for him to take. After a few more rings, he finally picked up the handset and cleared his throat.

"Good day. This is Komui Lee speaking…"

There seemed to be an aura of suspense as they waited for Komui's conversation on the phone to be finished. Suddenly, the Chinese slowly faced them, a hand on the phone's receiver.

"It's General Walker."

Instantly, all panic stopped and the whole department rushed to Komui's desk. Reever gulped a lump on his throat.

"Tell him about Lenalee, supervisor!"

"Yeah, head officer! Let him know what's happening!"

"Bring Lenalee here!"

"Shh!" Komui hushed the noisy listeners.

"…"

Komui returned to the telephone. "Ah yes. General, so what's the news?...mmhmm…mmhmm…Oh, yes of course!...Really? Have a safe trip then…"

"…oh, you want to speak with Lenalee?"

The others leaned at the sudden development from the phone conversation. They slowly grinned. Finally, it's going to be over! As soon as Lenalee spoke with Allen, it's going to end –

"Well, I'm very _very_ sorry to tell you but _my_ Lenalee is outside feeling the warm rays of the sun! Yes, so you better call next time. Take care General! Goodbye!"

CLICK!

Komui sipped on his cup. "Fufufu…as if I'd let him speak to my Lenalee! Ha! In his dreams!"

"…"

He turned to the others. "So, what are we talking about just now?"

"…"

The surroundings suddenly became ominous black. Komui still remained smiling as each of them slowly faced the supervisor with void eyes. Reever's mouth twitched.

"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

The others simultaneously nodded.

"Good."

The Chinese tilted his head to the side. "Something wrong guys?"

"GET HIM!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

After some beatings, curses, death threats and other whatnot…

Komui had no reaction as he sat on the floor, his body was tied up with different kinds of ropes and his mouth plastered with packaging tape. Mugen was dangerously near his throat as Kanda towered over him. Komurin-ex, who appeared a moment ago, was temporarily beheaded by the samurai. The others stood tall around their supervisor.

Reever sighed. "Kanda, stay here and watch over the head officer while we think of a plan."

"Che. Make it quick or I'll slice this sister complex into bits."

The others nodded then went to the inner part of the department.

"So what now?"

There's tension as each one delved into their own thoughts. They can faintly hear the fiasco outside the department. Then there were crashes, booms, and screaming. Lavi sweated.

"We gotta think fast! Lenalee's on a rampage outside now! If we don't hurry, the Order's going to be destroyed!"

"Keep quiet Lavi! We're thinking here!"

Noise Marie paled. "She's marching towards here! I can hear her angry footsteps!"

"Argh! What now?"

"What if we have one of us disguise as the general?" one of the scientists suggested.

"That's a good idea."

"That can't be." Lavi interjected. "There's no one here who looks like him. No one has the same hair, the same eyes and the same scar."

"We can use contacts."

"Yeah! Then for the hair, we can use a wig."

"Then the scar can be dealt with by using make-up or something."

Lavi was still unconvinced. "But where will you get those in a short time?"

The others paused. "Maybe Johnny has contacts."

"What? I don't use contacts!"

"For the hair, we can just dye the person's head."

"And who would agree to that?"

"Then for the scar…we can ask for Miranda's make-up."

"Eh? I-I don't have make-up!"

"See? That won't work. We lack the materials. And even if we do have them, how can you imitate Allen's innocence?"

"Lavi's right. Let's just think of another plan."

A collected sigh.

"Wait." Reever cut in with seriousness. "I think I got a plan."

"Really?"

"Yes. But I will need all your help in this."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Allen-kun!...Give me my Allen-kun!"

Detached doors, cracked walls, craters on the floor and unconscious people greeted Lavi, Miranda and Krory when they went outside the Science Department. The other people rushed away out of the pregnant woman's range. Her innocence was activated while a green aura surrounded her womb, but the ominous aura was still around her. She noticed her three friends standing a few meters away.

"What the shitty hell are you doing stopping me? Where's my fiancé?"

Miranda gulped. "Umm..L-Lenalee-chan, please calm down…you don't have to –

"Shut up Miranda. Just tell me where the hell Allen-kun is!"

"Lenalee…" Krory trembled. "Please listen to us –

"I don't want to hear it!"

As Miranda and Krory talked to the younger exorcist, Lavi adjusted an earpiece on his left ear. He carefully whispered.

"Reever, we found Lenalee."

"**Alright. Distract her as much as possible until we say it's ok."**

"Got it."

Lavi's gaze slowly diverted to Lenalee who was still glaring at them with a slight murderous intent. He cleared his throat and forced himself to grin.

"Hi Lenalee!"

_At the Science Department…_

"Is Komui taken cared of?"

"Yes. Kanda brought him to the basement a moment ago."

"Good. Now where's the voice modifier I was talking about?"

"Johnny's on it. He said it's on vault # 256."

"Right. But what's taking him so long?"

"Reever! I found it!"

"At last! Now adjust it to supervisor's voice. He's the only one who can have the information so we need his voice."

"On it…done. Try this."

"**Hello…**this should do it. Now give me the phone."

"Phone's here. I'm dialing the numbers."

"Ok. Give me that now…(cough)** Good day. This is Komui Lee from the Main Headquarters… Yes, I would like to know the exact location of General Allen Walker now… How long will it take?...What? Could you do it faster? There's an emergency here…Alright, I'll wait then. Thank you.**"

"How many minutes Reever?"

"30 minutes at most."

"That long?"

"Damn. If only Komui had mentioned where the general is! That way, it would be faster."

"Moyashi's at Czechoslovakia right now."

"Whoa Kanda!"

"Thank God, where's Komui? Johnny, dial the numbers."

"He's locked up at the basement. I forced him to tell."

"Is it ok to leave him there?"

"Tch. He's unconscious so don't worry. I'll return now. I only came to tell you."

"Thanks Kanda! Reever, it's ringing. Take it now."

"Ok…**Hello. I received information that the General's at Czechoslovakia. How many minutes? Ok…Great! Now please connect me to him…ok…Thank you very much!**"

"Is he there now?"

"Not yet. He'll call here in a minute. Tell Lavi to take Lenalee here."

"Alright! I'll tell Lavi right away!"

_Back at the hallways…_

"If you don't tell me now, I'll be forced to fight you!"

Miranda was near to tears "W-Wait Lenalee-chan. You can't fight. What if your baby –

"I'm protecting my child with my innocence, stupid! Now where's Allen-kun?"

"Have you forgotten Lenalee?" Lavi cut in. "He's away in a classified mission so…he's not really here…"

"I know."

The redhead, the vampire, and the depressed gaped. "R-Really? Then why are you demanding about –

"Do I need a reason to see the one I love? You don't understand because the three of you suck when it comes to love!"

Miranda glanced at Lavi. "L-Lavi–kun, how is it? Did they contact you already?"

"Not yet." Lavi whispered back, eyes still on Lenalee. "I'm getting nervous. Why are they taking so – Hold on!"

Krory and Miranda carefully watched the redhead from the corner of their eyes while they kept Lenalee occupied. After a few seconds, they saw a miniscule smile on Lavi's lips.

Krory gulped. "Lavi… did they manage to do it?"

"Yup. They got Allen now. All we need is to take her there."

They all nodded then faced the still angry female.

"So," Lenalee took a step forward. "Decided to speak?"

"Y-Yes. We can let you see Allen-kun now."

Silence…

The aura suddenly lessened. "Really? Where is he?"

"He's at the Science Department. Come with us, we'll take you there."

And so, as if a miracle happened, the aura almost disappeared from sight and Lenalee deactivated her innocence. The glare was also gone from her eyes and a smile slowly formed on her lips. The three sighed in relief at that. Their friend's returning to normal.

The moment they entered the Science Department, they quickly noticed Reever, Johnny and Chaoji huddled at the Head Officer's desk. Reever was talking on the phone when he saw Lenalee standing there with the other exorcists. He smiled then spoke more on the telephone.

"General, she's here now. Wait a moment…"

He pulled away from the handset then held it to pregnant woman.

"He's on the line Lenalee. We're sorry it's just on the phone, but at least you can speak to him now."

Lenalee only nodded and slowly took the handset from Reever. She gently pressed it on her ear then with a hopeful whisper,

"Allen-kun…?"

The others only watched in silence and in relief when the terrifying aura around the Chinese woman completely disappeared. At least, they can now breathe freely and continue doing their work without worrying that it might irritate her.

"Good job Reever!" Lavi said before patting the scientist on his back. Reever only grinned.

"Well, it wouldn't be possible without the help from you guys."

"You're right!" the redhead looked around. "Wait, where's Yuu-chan?"

"He's at the basement making sure the Head Officer wouldn't escape."

And the conversation continued on. They chatted happily among themselves but still kept a close eye on Lenalee, who kept smiling and giggling on the phone. After a few more minutes, she finally returned the handset on the telephone and took a deep breath, as if she had just awakened from a dream. Miranda was the first to speak up after the sudden silence. She smiled and went beside her friend.

"How was Allen-kun, Lenalee-chan?"

The question made Lenalee twitch a bit then she turned to face them, a big smile on her face. They noticed the small impending tears on her violet eyes.

"He said he's fine."

And then she collapsed.

* * *

**AN:** I'm not confident with this chapter…I mean, I'm in a very bad mood right now and I feel sick (colds…achoo!). So I can't blame you if you found this chap not as appealing as the others, and I'm afraid the next chap will be affected too because I also have a bunch of problems to think about! (sighs…) Please bear with me! T.T

On the other hand, due to some huge plot change, Allen will be appearing sooner than I originally planned! (say Yay! If it pleases you) and the atmosphere of the next chaps will be more serious as to complement the story progress…By the way…

InfinityOnTheRun – Thank you very much for pointing out my verb tense mistakes in the recent chaps. Mistakes on tenses are usually the ones I miss out so I really appreciate it! I'm afraid this chap didn't have much improvement at all but I'll keep focusing on them in the next updates! I'm very sorry if it bothers you!

And for you readers, thank you once again for your reviews! I hope you can click that link and review again!

That's all! Sorry for the long AN…please wait for the next update!


	6. The Brother part 2

Warning: major OOC-ness

Disclaimer: D. Gray-Man's not my property XD

_

* * *

_

"Eh?"

Miranda was frozen on the spot as she held Lenalee's limp body in her arms. The extra load from the pregnant woman's midsection made them stumble to the ground in a loud thud while the others seemed to be frozen in shock also.

"Lenalee-chan..?" the older woman whispered as she held the other's shoulders.

"L-Lenalee-chan?" she began trembling when there was no response.

"LENALEE-CHAN! DID I DO SOMETHING WRONG? IT'S MY FAULT ISN'T IT? PLEASE PUNISH ME!"

The others joined Miranda in her panic.

"O-Oi, what just happened?"

"Did she faint?"

"OMG is she still alive?"

"Shit! The baby! Check the baby!"

"No! Check Lenalee first!"

"Argh! Supervisor's gonna kill us!"

"Dammit, no! I still want to live!"

"Oh Kami-sama, I apologize for my sins…"

"Will you stop it already?"

Everyone suddenly stopped panicking and stared at the Australian who was already carrying Lenalee off from Miranda. He glared at the others.

"Help me bring her to the hospital wing!"

Since they were afraid they might hurt her womb if they carried her all the way to the hospital wing, they just laid her on a wheeled bed from Komui's laboratory and hurriedly rushed her there. Reever and Lavi were the ones pushing the bed while the others were running behind them. The scene caught the recovering people's attention around and they eventually followed the group. Soon, the news of Lenalee's collapse reached almost all the ears of the occupants inside the Order.

Meanwhile, Kanda was beginning to be irritated. The supervisor had regained consciousness a minute ago and was continuously screaming through the packaging tape plastered on his mouth. The muffled screams of Lenalee's name annoyed him more and more.

"Will you shut up Komui? I'm meditating here!"

The captive didn't stop and instead continued to release a barrage of muffled shouts to him. Kanda's eyebrows twitched at that so he quickly stood up from his position. He looked up to the walls where Komui was hanged 5 feet from the ground. The samurai approached him and pointed Mugen to his forehead.

"I'll really slice you if you don't stop Komui!"

"MMHMM MMHMM MMHMM! MHMM MHMMM! (Put me down you brat! Lenalee needs me!)"

Kanda stared at him. "Lenalee doesn't need you right now. She wants moyashi."

"MMHMM? (What?)" Komui's brows rose up. "MMHMM MHMM! MM MHMM MM? (That's not true! And you understand me?)"

"Che. I don't understand you. I'm just guessing."

"MMHMM MM MMHMM? MMH MM MM MMHMM! (What are you saying? You really do understand me!)"

"I said I don't understand ok? Just shut up."

"MMHMM MMHMM MMMM! MHMM MMM MMHMM! (The nerve of you to order around your superior! Bring me to Lenalee!)"

"I order who I want to order. And I won't bring you to her until you get over that stupid sister complex of yours!"

"MMMHHHMM! (NOOOO!)"

"Tch. One more peep out of you and I'll –

The sudden noise of loud running footsteps outside the basement caught the swordsman's attention. Komui heard the noises too and managed to lower down his extremities, diverting his attention to the fiasco outside.

"MMHMM MMHMM? (What's that?)"

Kanda didn't answer the supervisor but lowered his innocence from his captive's forehead, which relieved Komui a bit. After placing Mugen inside its sheath, Kanda walked towards the room's door to see what's going on outside.

"MMHMM MMHMM MMM! (Hey don't leave me here!)"

"Shaddup. Be quiet."

Komui did become silent while the Japanese twisted the doorknob and stepped out. The barrage of people who were supposed to be running was not there anymore but a group of two to three others were approaching. Kanda took his chance and stepped in front of them, surprising the group into a halt.

"What's happening?"

The single question seemed to surprise the group much more but one of them quickly recovered and answered the inquiry.

"They said Lenalee-san collapsed a few minutes ago! She's at the hospital wing right now!"

That said, the group went on their way and left the samurai standing there. He suddenly had the expression of mixed surprise and concern. He felt the urge to go to the ward too and see what will happen but then…

He went inside the dim lit room and approached Komui who was still silent from waiting for any news. Kanda sat in front of him on the floor, his back leaning on the wall with Mugen beside him. The supervisor decided to speak.

"MMHMM MMHMM MMM? (What happened there?)"

Kanda glanced at him for a moment. "They said Lenalee had a collapse."

"MMHMM? (WHAT?)" Komui started squirming from his position.

"MMHMM MMH MHMMM? MMHM MMM MM MMMHM! (Is she okay? Take me to her!)"

"I'm sure she'll be ok, with Reever and the others there…"

"MHMM MHMM MHMM! (Bring me to her!)"

Kanda smirked. "Sorry, but you'll be staying here with me until it's safe to let you out."

Tears were gushing out of Komui's eyes.

"MMMMM! MMHMMMHMM! (NOOOO! LENALEE!)"

-/-/-

-/-/-

Outside the ward was the whole Order (with the exception of Kanda and Komui) huddled together for the sole purpose of finding out what will happen to the most famous female exorcist at the moment. They wanted to go inside the ward and watch as the head nurse check on the poor woman but the door was locked and a sign that read 'NO ENTRY!' hanged from the door's frame.

"Geez, I want to know already!" Lavi muttered in anxiousness. "What's taking them so long?"

Bookman glanced at him. "Calm down Lavi. Wait patiently until the nurse comes out."

They had been waiting for almost an hour already and still there was no news or whatever from the head nurse. Each minute of further waiting made them more anxious to know. And because of this anxiety and tension, many speculations started to spread around regarding the pregnant woman inside the ward.

"Hey, what if Lenalee-san had a miscarriage?" one of the finders dared to talk. The others who heard him suddenly turned to his group in interest.

"Eh? No way!" another finder remarked.

"Come on! It's not even far-fetched! Many pregnant women went through that after fainting or something!"

The speculation spread more and before they knew it, everyone had already started speaking out their opinion regarding the matter.

"It would be such a waste if that happens!"

"Yeah. I was even excited since it's the first time the Order's gonna have a baby around."

"That's right. Kids are really cute after all. The last time there's a kid here was when Lenalee-san first arrived."

"I remember that! She was so cute, but she never smiled."

"Yeah. It was only until the supervisor arrived when she began to be friendlier."

"Speaking of which, where's the supervisor?"

The question made the gossiping people to shut their mouth in wonder and stare at the exorcists. Lavi noticed the stares they'd been receiving so he decided to just answer their question.

"The supervisor's hidden for awhile. He won't be appearing until we say it's alright to let him go."

There were "oooh!"s from the listeners but after a few commentaries, they returned to the current topic they had been talking about – which suddenly escalated to a higher level.

"I think it's really miscarriage. They've been inside there for so long, there's no doubt about it!"

"I think you're right! Maybe the nurse is already cleaning up the fetus! Oh, the poor baby!"

"Yeah! That's the only reason it's taking so long!"

"Oh my, I can't imagine Lenalee-san's reaction when she wakes up only to learn that her baby's dead already! I don't want to witness it!"

"I'm sure she will cry!"

"Then General Walker will…"

Silence…

The vicinity became quiet at the mention of the name. They stared at each other, as if trying to figure out the connection of the white-haired general to the on-going drama happening there. Then they finally got the connection: Allen Walker – Lenalee Lee – in love – baby – engagement…

"GYAAHH!"

Everybody suddenly started to panic. Of course, how could they have forgotten! The Destroyer of Time was the baby's father! The baby was his child! And Lenalee was his fiancée! His soon-to-be wife! In short, his family's lives were the ones at stake!

"OH MY GOD! What are we gonna do once the general finds out?"

"We can't tell him! DON'T TELL HIM!"

"That's no use! He'll find out sooner or later! You know how word spreads!"

"Damn! I can't imagine what he might do!"

"Yeah! He might go into black mode then start a killing spree!"

"Noo! Then he will team up with the supervisor and together they will avenge the baby's death!"

"We will surely end up killed then subjected to Komui's experiments when that happens!"

"I don't want to die yet! I still hadn't gotten a girlfriend!"

"SOMEONE SAVE US!"

And thus, the Order switched into a higher level of panic mode. Lavi was meaning to calm the panicking people around since they might disturb the head nurse and Lenalee inside the ward. But before he could even utter a word, the surroundings suddenly became black and an evil aura started to loom around.

"Don't panic everyone…"

Someone suddenly cut in with a menacing voice. They all turned to see the Science Department huddled in a corner with ballistic smiles on their faces. Their eyes were void black and a somewhat ghost of a black entity loomed with them.

Their current form sent chills down the others' spines. Miranda and Krory began trembling as they carefully steer away from them.

"W-What's their problem?..."Miranda whispered. Krory nodded while Lavi just sweatdropped with a nervous gulp.

"They're probably very upset with what's happening. It's not safe to go near them for now…"

"We don't have to worry…"Reever cut in still with the ballistic smile. "We're not the ones responsible for this anyway…"

The onlookers seemed to get their point.

"He's right. We shouldn't be afraid!"

"Yeah! We're not the ones who caused all of this anyway!"

"Then, who's the one responsible?"

The scientists began laughing menacingly.

"IT'S THE SUPERVISOR!"

Reever nodded.

"Yes!...If it wasn't for him hanging up on the general whenever he wants to speak with Lenalee, none of this would happen! She wouldn't have that mood swing, the Order wouldn't be this messed up and she wouldn't have fainted and their child would have been alive!"

"It's the Head Officer's fault!"

"Then when Allen tries to kill Komui because of this, we will report the events from our perspective! We will justify the General's assault by saying it was Komui's fault then he will be kicked out of the Order for good! Lenalee wouldn't even be sad about it! No more lazy supervisor!"

"No more overtime!"

"No more Komurins!"

The scientists began rejoicing in their own little world while the onlookers just stared at them with mixed fright and puzzlement. Lavi sweatdropped at their antics, stating the only right thing to say at the moment:

"They're not even sure it's miscarriage…"

"AHEM."

Before the craziness could even become crazier, the door to the ward suddenly opened, stopping all activities outside the room. Everybody turned their attention to the old nurse who was standing tall in front of them after closing the door.

"Lenalee is…"

They leaned to the nurse.

"She's alright now. Her collapse was only due to emotional stress. She would need to have a few days rest then after that, she will be back to how she was."

The people nodded in relief at the news. But there's still one more issue left.

"What about the baby, head nurse?"

The nurse paused for a moment. The Order held their breath. It's a life or death situation.

"The baby's fine. No need to worry."

There was a simultaneous sigh of relief after that being said. Any plans for killing were temporarily halted as they let a smile crawl back to their lips. Lenalee and her baby were safe. At least they won't be suffering Allen Walker and the Supervisor's wrath. The head nurse, seeing that her purpose was done, suddenly cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Now that I told you…" she glared at them. "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! YOU'RE DISTURBING THE PATIENT WITH YOUR SCREAMS! NO VISITING UNTIL SHE WAKES UP! AND DON'T BRING THE SUPERVISOR HERE! GOT IT?"

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

After that drama at the ward, the Order finally returned to normal. Some began repairing the damages gained from Lenalee's mood swing while some resumed doing their work. Komui was still detained at the basement after Reever told Kanda what had happened at the hospital wing and to guard the supervisor for a bit longer. The Chinese had fainted out of relief when he learned the news from Kanda.

When a few hours already passed, Lenalee had finally woken up inside the ward without any recollection of what had happened and was greeted by the head nurse who quickly checked her vital signs. After checking, the matron called the still waiting exorcists and a few scientists outside of the room. They hurriedly went inside to see how the pregnant woman was and had relayed the events that led to her confinement at the hospital wing.

"I apologize for my behavior." Lenalee mumbled with a sigh. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to act like that."

Miranda, who was sobbing in relief, shook her head. "It's not your fault Lenalee-chan! It just happened suddenly!"

"She's right." Lavi added with a grin. "That's why it's called a mood swing right? Because you won't know when it's gonna happen."

Lenalee nodded but still felt sorry for acting like what her friends had described. She became even more embarrassed when she finally remembered everything that had happened a few hours ago.

"Say Lenalee," Reever blurted after a moment of silence. "The nurse said the cause of your collapse was because you have emotional stress. Are you depressed?"

The Chinese woman looked down in thought. "I think so. That's why I was demanding for Allen-kun."

Reever blinked. "About that, why were you demanding for him anyway?"

"Because she misses him of course." Lavi suddenly cut in with a shrug. "It's normal."

The scientist was still unconvinced. "Yeah but, she never demanded for him before…"

He turned to Lenalee. "Did something happen in the last few weeks?"

"Well…" the young woman thought for a moment. "Allen-kun didn't even call once since you gave me a private phone…"

"What?" Reever widened his eyes in wonder. "That can't be! I secretly gave him your number the last time he called…"

Lavi and the others raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't he call?"

"That's what I've been depressed about." Lenalee sighed then continued.

"My phone's been silent all this time. I've been excited since you gave me the telephone but I didn't receive any calls from him. I've been very anxious since then. What if something happened to him? What if he's in danger?"

Lavi nodded. "So that's why you had been demanding about general moyashi."

"Yes." The Chinese woman agreed. "I was so happy I finally heard his voice after so many months that I didn't realize I'm already exhausted from waiting. The next thing I knew, I was here. I'm just glad my baby's alright..."

The others listened in understanding. Reever, on the other hand, was still wondering why Allen hadn't called. He was sure he had given Lenalee's number to the general. Allen was even excited to call. So why? He glanced at his fellow scientists who also seemed to be thinking the same thing. Reever nodded then diverted his gaze to the pregnant woman.

"We'll be checking something in your room Lenalee. Is that okay with you?"

Lenalee looked at them in question. "It's okay…I guess."

"Don't worry, we won't be moving anything." The Australian smiled then glanced at the exorcists.

"You guys stay here and look after Lenalee."

"Of course." Lavi grinned back. "Go do your stuff."

The scientists then went to Lenalee's room to investigate and find any clues behind Allen's inability to call the private phone's number. They looked around the room for a few moments until Johnny had spotted the phone lying on top of the bed's side table. He approached the table and kneeled in front of it. He picked up the handset, there's dial tone. He returned it then focused on the lines instead.

"Reever! Reever! Look at this!" he called upon noticing something. Reever quickly went to him.

"What is it?"

"Look at the phone lines!"

Reever kneeled down too and analyzed the series of wires connected to the phone. He picked up some and followed where each wire goes. After some scrutinizing, he returned the wires and narrowed his eyes at the phone.

"Someone botched up the phone lines."

Johnny nodded nervously. "That's why Lenalee hadn't received any phone call!"

"Yeah. General Walker definitely had tried to call a few times but can't get through because of these phone lines…But who would do such a thing?"

Silence…

"That reminds me…" Johnny muttered. "I saw the supervisor lingering here a few weeks ago…"

They looked at each other.

"Of course!"

Reever frowned with a sweat. "Komui had gone too far with his sister complex…"

"What's the next step now Reever? We can't fix this phone anymore, with all this wires damaged."

"I know Johnny. But I'm thinking of something different."

Johnny raised his brows. "What're you planning, chief?"

"We're going to report…" Reever paused. "…to the Central Administration."

After finding out the very core of the recent events that happened at the Order, Reever and the others had took everything into their hands. They had submitted a report to the Central Office regarding the disaster that almost took place at their home, saying that the events were caused by Komui's already out-of-the-line protectiveness. They also added proofs of Lenalee's confinement at the hospital wing to further deepen the allegation. They reported that Lenalee and her baby were endangered because of Komui. A few hours passed and a document arrived containing a special permit for Reever to give the supervisor any disciplinary punishment to atone for Komui's actions – to which the Science Department accepted with glee.

"It's our chance guys!" the scientists roared.

"IT'S PAYBACK TIME!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Ugh…my head…"

Komui slowly opened his eyes as he reached out and massaged his temples. He sat up from his position and squinted his eyes so he can see clearly. He looked ahead. He saw a huge stack of papers.

"Wha…?"

He adjusted his glasses and tried to look ahead again. The same stack of files greeted him. He sweated then looked at his right, there were also piles of documents. He looked at the left, still the same scene. He looked down at his desk, a lone pen greeted him.

"…"

Komui returned his gaze ahead, not moving in his seat until sweat began running faster from his temples. There's only one explanation.

"NOOOOO!"

…

"Say Reever, what's the punishment you gave to nii-san?"

Lenalee sat up from lying on the bed. She rubbed her big tummy affectionately. Reever smirked at her question as he crossed his legs.

"I had him locked up in his office with all the documents he had to work on."

Lenalee blinked. "But he's smart. He might think of a way to escape."

"Heh." The Australian smirked wider. "He can't. His office is currently inside a dimensional loop space. Even if he did escape, he'll find himself inside his office again."

"Just like in the rewinding town incident with Miranda."

"Yeah. We also confiscated all his gadgets and had disassembled Komurin X temporarily. In short, he's out of options."

"Wow. You seemed to have thought deeply about this Reever."

"Of course. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for us after all! In addition to that, there's food stacked there for a week but with no coffee."

"Nii-san loves coffee."

"That's the point. Without it, it will make his punishment more torturous! He will be forced to work his butt off so he could go outside and get coffee!"

"That's harsh."

Reever stared at her. "Want a lighter punishment for him?"

"No." Lenalee smiled and continued rubbing her womb. "It serves him right."

* * *

AN: I'm a bit on crack when I wrote this so…I'm still not confident with this chap. –sigh-…I managed to solve most of my problems now (which included the infamous writer's block) but there's still a bunch so I'm still in a bad mood. Nonetheless, I'm happy I finished this chap.

Review please! It will definitely brighten up my day!


	7. The Name

Warning: Major OOC-ness

Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray-man, but the OCs are mine.

* * *

Lenalee hummed happily as she flipped over the pages of a book she's reading. She had just recovered from a serious heart burn the day before so she's glad it was finally over. She hummed more then closed the book with a finger in between to mark where she had left off. She carefully leaned downward to reach the volume button on the cd player at the table. She pushed the button a few times until she's satisfied with the volume then continued reading the book.

"Oh there's Lenalee!"

She looked up upon hearing her name then saw her friends approaching her. She sighed then closed the book again. She would have to continue reading later.

"What are you doing here in the lounge Lenalee-chan?" Miranda inquired as she sat beside her.

Lavi, Krory and Kanda sat on the couch opposite the women.

"Yeah. You had heart burn right? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I'm fine now." Lenalee replied. "Staying in bed only makes me feel sicker."

Her friends didn't argue any longer as a moment of silence reigned between them, until Lavi took note of the music playing in the background. He glanced at the cd player on the table.

"That's Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. So you like Beethoven Lenalee?"

The girl smiled. "Not really. I just heard that classical music is good for babies while still in the womb so I decided to try it."

Krory nodded. "Yes. Classical music can help improve the mind."

"So I heard."

"Wow." Lavi grinned at the vampire. "Where did you get the knowledge Krory?"

"I love listening to classical music in my castle before. If I can't sleep, I listen."

"Tch." Kanda cut in. "It's annoying."

"It may be at first but it can relax the mind so in the end you'll end up listening to it."

Lavi sneered at the samurai. "Listen to Krory, Kanda. You can play one of those scores while meditating!"

"I do NOT need that annoying music to meditate. And stop saying nonsense."

"I'm only suggesting something good, Yuu-chan. You're such a kill joy."

"Shut up and don't call me by that name dammit!"

While Krory tried to calm the two bickering exorcists, Lenalee chose to ignore them and picked up the cd on top of the player. She looked at the back cover, trying to pick the next score she would be playing.

Miranda glanced at her friend then smiled. She remembered years ago when Lenalee was still a 16-year-old and had told her the "ultimate secret" she had been hiding. They were doing a mission that time with just the two of them. When night arrived, the younger girl had approached her and whispered something to her.

"_I think I have a crush on Allen-kun."_

And that's when it all started. Since that night, Lenalee would be talking to her when they were alone. She would be relaying the feelings she had been experiencing and the pain of hiding those emotions, while her – the inexperienced older female, would only listen and try to cheer the girl up. Their talks were soon held in a regular basis and before she knew it, she had been Lenalee's personal guidance counselor. But she did not mind. She was glad to be of help to the young girl and she felt privileged to be the one who Lenalee trusted her secrets to.

She, the depressed female exorcist, had been the witness to Lenalee's journey through her love life. More than anyone else, she was the one who knew of the hardships and pain her friend went through when she desperately tried to hide her emotions. She had watched as the simple school-girl crush evolved into a love so true she's surprised a woman was even capable of feeling such a great emotion.

So among Lenalee's friends, she was the one who was the happiest. She was very glad that Lenalee was finally realizing her dream. And if she would ever need her again for a talk, she – as her best friend, will always be there for her.

"You look so happy Lenalee-chan." Miranda muttered. "I'm glad."

Lenalee smiled to her as she leaned to the player and pushed some buttons. A new musical score played in the background.

"It's all thanks to you Miranda." She placed her hand on top of her friend's own. "Without you listening and supporting me through these years, I wouldn't have reached this level with Allen-kun."

"For that, "Lenalee squeezed Miranda's hand. "I will eternally thank you."

Miranda sniffed back tears as the younger exorcist smiled widely at her. It was true. Without Miranda, she wouldn't have gathered the courage to show much she loved Allen. And if she hadn't confessed her feelings, she wouldn't have gotten the most beautiful gift she could ever have: her baby – her and Allen's child.

She was glad she told Miranda her secret that night during their mission years ago. She was right to trust her emotions to someone like her. At first, it was only for convenience sake. Miranda was the only female exorcist closest to her that time and she needed to tell what she had been going through to someone who might understand, someone of the same gender. So she told her. She thought the woman would just apologize and tell her to just talk about it with someone else. But instead of doing that, Miranda had cheered her on, trying her best to help even if she's also inexperienced when it came to love. It didn't take long and the two of them became best of friends.

"I…I-I still remember when we first met!" Miranda said after failing to hold back tears. "Y-You and Allen-kun were my first friends! Both of you saved me from that depressing world! I'm j-just glad the two of you are f-finally happy!"

"O-Oi, what's happening? Why is Miranda crying?"

"Are you feeling well Miranda?"

"Che. Maybe you did something stupid usagi."

"You're mean! I didn't do anything. What happened, Lenalee?"

The questioned girl only smiled more at them then scooted closer to Miranda to give her a hug. The three men became confused. What was really happening? Lenalee whispered grateful and comforting words to her best friend. She rubbed the older woman's back gently.

"You also saved us Miranda. You saved us many times. Without you, we wouldn't be experiencing all of these wonderful things."

She noticed the confused stares from the males and just shrugged with the smile still on her lips.

"Just continue. Don't mind us."

The three looked at each other.

"What are we doing again?"

"Um…I seem to have forgotten."

"Tch. The hell I care about what you are doing. Might as well eat some soba."

"Oi! Wait Yuu-chan! I'm hungry too!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

With the mention of food, the exorcists hanging out at the lounge had followed Kanda and went to the cafeteria to have their lunch. They eventually ended up continuing their conversation there, to which Kanda was not that pleased. He was planning to have a peaceful meal and with _those _people around, it would be impossible.

"Here's the meal Jerry-san reserved for you, Lenalee."

Lavi placed a tray with beef and sautéed vegetables with a glass of water in front of the pregnant woman. He sat in front of her and Miranda after that. Lenalee thanked her friend then took her spoon and fork.

"Itadakimasu!"

They didn't talk after that since all of them were busy eating their lunch and they might as well enjoy it with silence. But silence was not really usual for them so just like Kanda suspected, after a mere thirty seconds, Lavi had opened his mouth and tried to start a conversation.

"I just remembered Lenalee," he started, making the others except Kanda to look at him.

"Have you thought of any names yet?"

Lenalee stopped eating. "Names?"

"Yep. Names for the baby."

"Well…" the female sipped on her glass. "I haven't thought about it yet."

Lavi grinned at her answer. "Then why don't we think about it now?"

Lenalee, Krory and Miranda stared at him. The redhead chuckled as if victorious then leaned at the table, glancing at the three of them.

"It would be fun! Don't you want to be the one to name the _savior's_ child? Your name might even be written in history!"

"I don't think that will happen, Lavi." Lenalee replied with a sweat drop. "And it's not really your business so –

"Oh, come on Lenalee! It's our business! We're your friends right?"

"Yes, but –

"We're only going to suggest." The redhead pointed out. "In the end, the choice is still yours."

Lenalee didn't know what to answer. But Lavi had a point. It's only about three months then the baby will come out. It seemed appropriate to talk about names. She momentarily wished Allen was there with them. She was hoping he would be the one to name their child. She sighed when she made up her mind. It's only for fun anyway.

"Ok." She answered. "Let's think of names."

"Alright!" Lavi grinned at her answer. He diverted his gaze to Krory and Miranda.

"Krorykins!" he pointed a finger at the vampire. "Tell us some names!"

Krory blushed then shifted gazes. Then as if he had thought of an idea, his face lit up then excitedly faced Lenalee and Lavi.

"Oh! How about Louis Jonathan Alexander or Juliana Maria Antoinette? They're the names of my ancestors!"

Lenalee nervously smiled. "Those are good but…much too extravagant.

"They suck Krory." Lavi shook his head then turned to Miranda. The woman suddenly panicked.

"U-Umm…I don't – I mean…t-then, is Michael or Anna ok?" Lavi and Lenalee stared at her.

"Too normal."

"What do you know baka?" someone suddenly blurted.

All eyes were on Kanda instantly who was already finished with his soba. He glanced at the redhead.

"Acting as if you know everything…You didn't even suggest any names yourself."

Lavi shrugged. "There is only one name I can think of."

Lenalee blinked. "What is it then?"

"Of course, my 49th alias, Lavi!"

Kanda snorted. "As if General moyashi would agree to that ugly name."

Lavi suddenly frowned then stared at the samurai. Kanda stared back. Lenalee, Krory and Miranda started to worry. The aura around them was becoming tense by the second and if they didn't do anything, the two men will start arguing seriously.

"Lavi…Kanda, you don't have to make such a big deal about this –

"Then," Lavi suddenly cut in with a sneer, his eyes still at Kanda. "You have any suggestions?"

He sneered more. "How about naming the baby after your fist name, Kanda?"

The other three gawked when the glares on Kanda's eyes intensified as he fumed. He slapped his chopsticks on the table with a bang. Lenalee became more worried.

"K-Kanda… -

"Lenalee." The glare suddenly lessened as he diverted his glared to her. He narrowed his eyes.

Lenalee stiffened. "Y-Yes?"

Silence…

The stoic exorcist coughed then with a faint blush, "L-Liana…"

The others stared at him weirdly. Kanda grunted then stood up from his seat. He turned around to leave.

"If you like, call her Liana if the baby's a girl."

Then he left.

The three others didn't say anything for a moment and only watched the samurai walk towards the cafeteria doors. When Kanda was already out of sight, they finally snapped back to reality and looked at each other.

"D-Did Kanda-kun just suggest a name?"

"He said it's a name for a girl…"

"Yuu's weird…" Lavi blurted then suddenly smirked. "That's a pretty name though, right Lenalee?"

She nodded then once again glanced at the direction where the samurai went.

"Aa. It is."

Unknown to them though, the eavesdroppers who were sitting near them had picked up their whole conversation and had spread word that Lenalee was thinking of a name for her baby and the one who will be contributing the name will be written in history. Soon, wherever Lenalee went, people will walk up to her and speak of some names.

_**At the hallways…**_

"Lenalee-san, how about my name, Joanna? My mom once told me it's a pretty name."

"Joanna? That's a normal name. It's nothing special! How about mine then? Hepzibah?"

"Ugh. That's so old. As if Lenalee-san would even think of that."

"Oh yeah? At least it's one of a kind! Unlike yours!"

_**At the training grounds…**_

"We heard Lenalee-san. Why not try my father's name, Brutus?"

"That's too macho dude. My grandpa's name's much cooler."

"Hmph. What is it?"

"Santiago."

_**At the lounge…**_

"Lenalee-san! Mimi! Name your baby, Mimi!"

"Try Samatarou!"

"Maurice Lenalee-san!"

"Innocencia!"

_**At the canteen…**_

"Oh! Lenalee, I have some suggestions for you! Name the baby after food! Try Dango or Linguini. They're cute!"

_**At the Science Department…**_

"Albert Einstein is a famous figure Lenalee-san. Name your baby after him so he could be a genius!"

"Newton is also cool. You could even make a derivation. Like Newtoni or Toni!"

"How about Galileo for a boy? Then for a girl, Galilea?"

_**At Komui's office…**_

"KOMURIN! You must definitely name your child after Komurin! Whether it's a boy or a girl! IT MUST BE KOMURIN! For uncle Komui's sake!"

Lenalee sighed as she stared at a long list of names given to her by Reever. The list consisted of names used from ancient times to the modern era, all arranged in alphabetical order. Then as if that wasn't enough, there's also a brief description of each name which consisted of its meaning, origin and even a summary of the story behind it. She didn't know how Reever got to compile all of that in a couple of hours.

But that was not what's bothering her. It was the Order's sudden interest in the matter that made her worried and annoyed at the same time. It's not that she didn't like any of their suggestions (though she can't stand the thought of calling her child with _those_ names…). She's grateful they bothered to think of a name for her baby, and some of them even willingly offered then names of their

loved ones. But she wanted the matter to be private, something that only she and Allen can talk about. She was serious about not thinking of a name until he returned. She wanted him to be the one to name their child, and the only reason she agreed to Lavi's request earlier at lunch was because she wanted to give them a chance to suggest since they were her closest friends. Then maybe, she could choose a few from their suggestions and let Allen pick from her choices. But for the issue to had gone so far…

She slowly diverted her gaze to her right where a group of exorcists and finders where huddled together. She frowned at them with a small glare. The group, having noticed her expression, had nervously excused themselves. Lenalee narrowed her eyes.

"Please, don't spread something that's supposed to be private."

The group only replied a small but nervous apology then hurriedly left her. Lenalee had faintly heard them blame each other before she closed the thick folder containing the list then started to walk towards her room. She needed to rest her aching head.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"You shouldn't have given that list Reever! The only name fitted for my niece or nephew is KOMURIN! Only Komurin!"

Reever didn't say anything for a moment as he took a small glance at him while arranging the never ending files at the supervisor's desk. Komui still hadn't changed since the day they had given him a disciplinary punishment. They thought he would stop acting like a poor over protective brother but that's not the case (although Komui had finally let Allen speak with Lenalee after that incident…). Other people had said that there's no use trying to change something like the head officer's sister complex and many had agreed with that. But he knew otherwise. He had been close enough to the Chinese to know that there's much more to his sister complex.

"You should stop acting like that, you know." He stated in a clear voice. Komui stopped whatever he was doing and slowly faced him.

"Stop acting like what?"

"Acting like that when it comes to Lenalee." The Australian locked gazes with him. "I know that you already let go of her. Continuing that act will only hurt you more."

They stared at each other longer as Komui felt himself freeze from Reever's sudden remark. He tried to laugh it off and talk about something else but the other male's stare made him do otherwise. Instead, he found himself sighing as if caught in an inescapable matter.

"I'm not really hurt you know." He muttered with a smile. Reever cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

The Chinese nodded.

"Yes…I already knew this would happen. I know that someday, Lenalee will fall in love and leave me for someone else, that she would eventually leave the shield I placed around her and continue her life without me…"

"I had long accepted that fact." He continued. "It's just that all my life, she's been the center. She's the only one I care about since our parents died and for too long, I was her loving nii-san."

Reever sighed.

"You're afraid of letting go of that role. Although you accepted that she will not stay with you forever, you still find it hard to give Allen the responsibility. You wanted to preserve your placement, so you can continuously play that role even if you don't have to."

Komui chuckled. "It's bad isn't it? It's selfish."

"It _is_ selfish." The Australian remarked. "But I'm sure she understands. You will always be her 'loving nii-san' and no one can replace your part in her heart. So you should stop hating Allen and let him continue your responsibility of protecting her."

"That," Komui sipped on his cup of coffee. He grinned. "I cannot guarantee."

"(sigh) I knew it."

Their serious conversation was temporarily halted when the phone on the desk began ringing. Komui placed the cup beside the telephone then wiped his lips with a handkerchief.

"It must be General Walker." He muttered as he sat on his chair and reached out to pick it up.

Reever eyed him. "I assume you already know that you should let him speak with Lenalee. I still have that permit to discipline you after all."

"I know." the Chinese frowned then finally took the phone.

"Good afternoon. This is Komui Lee speaking."

As the supervisor spoke on the phone, Reever had gathered the files he needed then carried them all with his two hands. He was about to leave the Chinese alone when suddenly, Komui bolted up from his seat, his hand still on the phone. Reever turned to face him.

"You want to say – " He noticed the serious expression on the supervisor's face.

"Did something happen?"

Komui glanced at him but still continued talking on the phone.

"Yes…Yes, I understand…But are you sure?...Where is he now?...Ok…Please tell him to call as soon as possible…Yes, that will help greatly…ok. Thank you very much."

CLICK.

Silence, until Reever placed the files on the desk again.

"Was that General Walker?"

"No." Komui immediately replied. "It's the South American branch."

"The South American…it's been ages! Why did they call?"

Komui leaned on the desk, his fingers intertwining as he looked into space. His face showed nothing but disbelief and puzzlement as sweat ran down his temples.

"It's Allen. He…"

-/-/-

-/-/-

_**Brazil, Dark Religious Organization, South American Branch…**_

"Did you tell them yet?"

A middle-aged woman with raven black hair tied into a thick braid removed her face mask. Her ocean blue eyes were glued on a microscope as she adjusted the glass slide to the right. A younger woman about twenty five years with brown curls on her hair and green eyes placed a folder beside the microscope.

"Yes, I told them already."

"Who answered?"

"The supervisor."

The older woman smirked. "Komui eh? I should have phoned him instead. What did he say?"

"Nothing much Dr." the younger glanced at something on the middle of the table. "He was pretty shocked from his tone when I told him, then he requested we call again as soon as possible."

"It's natural for him to be shocked. After all, no one would expect something like this to happen."

The raven-haired woman sighed as she pulled away from the microscope. She took the folder beside the gadget then began to scheme over the contents. Her face became pensive.

"Damn. The molecular build-up all corresponds to this data. I hate to say this but there's no doubt that _this_ sample is the same!"

The younger became worried. "R-Really? What should we do then?"

Silence…

"Mona," the older stared at the other woman. "Contact the Oceania branch. Tell them to send all their files on _Akuma_ a.s.a.p."

Mona nodded. "Got it Dr. Shandez."

She scampered towards the exit of the science laboratory to do her orders when she suddenly stopped then turned to her boss.

"What about the general Dr.?"

Shandez closed the folder. "We will have to wait for his return."

* * *

AN: First of all, I'm very sorry that I took so long to update. I've been very busy since school already started and college is so tiring! And for that, I got 2 news for you. Ok, good news is: ALLEN'S GONNA APPEAR NEXT CHAP! (about time! XD) The bad news is: I still won't be able to update as soon as I usually do…(sorry!) I'm in a lot of work right now, so I don't have much free time to type (since most of it are used for homework)…I hope you can be patient and wait!

Also, things are gonna be serious from now on so expect less humor, more OCs and…drama? I'm sorry for the sudden atmosphere change but I deemed it necessary. XD

This is all guys! Please Review!


	8. The Wheel Turn

Warning: major OOC-ness

Disclaimer: D. Gray-Man is Katsura Hoshino's…

* * *

The clock showed 6:00 a.m. as the first rays of the sun showered the surroundings with light. A few birds began chirping from the trees while the heat of the sun slowly replaced the night's coldness. The awakening hours of the Order will be for a few hours later though. But not for a few, particularly two men, who just received a shocking revelation the day before.

"Can't sleep huh?" Reever muttered in a not-so-lively tone as he approached the desk in the middle of a mess of files.

Komui nodded, his body limp on the chair. He turned to Reever.

"I was waiting for General Walker's call."

"That's a miracle." Reever attempted to lighten up the mood. "For you to look forward to his call…I can't believe it."

"It is an important matter." The supervisor adjusted his glasses. "I am NOT looking forward to his calls."

Reever just shook his head and let himself fall on the couch in front of the desk. He massaged his temples and let out a small groan. He really hadn't slept for the night since Komui received the call from the South American Branch. The news was too shocking that the moment he entered his room, he just sat on his bed and stared at empty space. Then to get the thought out from his mind, he went to his desk and worked on the documents piled there for the night. Unfortunately, the news still lingered in his mind even after all the work he had done.

"Want some coffee?" he blurted out as he glanced at the supervisor.

"Coffee's ready. Get some from there if you want."

Reever blinked in surprise then looked at the side table Komui pointed out. He sighed as he stood and went there to get himself a cup of the bitter liquid.

"So," the Australian began after taking a sip. "What's the next course of action, supervisor?"

At the question, Komui adjusted his glasses then leaned on the table, his eyes on the telephone.

"For now, we wait for a call from the S.A. Branch. Until we get a confirmation from them, we won't report to the Central Office."

Reever nodded. "Should we tell the others?"

"No. We can't tell them."

"Even Lenalee?"

Komui paused. "Yes, especially her. She's in a fragile condition. We can't tell her something like _this_."

"You're right. Allen might not want to tell her in this situation also." Reever took another sip.

"But are you sure about not telling the exorcists? They were the ones who fought after all. They might want to know."

The Chinese took a folder beside him. "Yes I'm sure. That's why we sent Allen on _this_ mission."

He opened the folder. "He's our representative. Right now, he's the only one who can do this. We just have to trust him."

"What is his mission anyway?" Reever sat on the couch again. "I know it's classified and shouldn't be known by others but I already heard the news from the S.A. Branch. I think I have the right to know now…"

The supervisor thought for a moment then pushed the folder to him. A warning was on his eyes when he locked gazes with the scientist.

"I trust you Reever."

"I know. And I won't say anything, don't worry."

The Australian took the file from the edge of the desk. He noticed the red all-caps "CLASSIFIED" printing in front, then below was a small print in black letters that read "Mission #8567". He swallowed a lump on his throat then opened the folder.

_**Mission #:8567**_

_**Exorcist(s): General Allen Walker (as ordered by the Central Administration)**_

_**Time of Completion: no time limit**_

_**Main Objective:**_

_**To make sure no evidence, ruins or remains were left by the Millennium Earl and the Noah clan in any part of this world. If any of the above mentioned are found, the General is subjected to destroy it immediately. However, if the General discovers something related to the Earl that his judgment deems as necessary, he may not destroy it and must consult the nearest Black Religious Organization Branch as soon as possible.**_

_**Details:**_

_**The General is to travel alone and may not bring any companions. He must report his progress to the Main Headquarters every month. Upon completion of this mission, he must return immediately and report the results directly to the Central Office.**_

_**Failure:**_

_**If the General is unable to complete the mission, his badge as a general will be confiscated along with the exclusive rights the title holds. The badge can never be reclaimed.**_

_**Signed:**_

_**The Vatican**_

"Pretty simple for a classified mission." Reever returned the folder to the desk after reading. Komui took the file.

"It seemed simple. But the fate of the world rests on his shoulders. If he missed even a single remnant of the Earl, it will cause huge casualties. He would probably be blamed then maybe executed."

"Wow. I didn't know that."

"Remember, the reason why the Earl was able to come back was because was the people from before failed to eliminate all of his left behinds. The Earl was obviously not an ordinary being and can live again many times if given a chance."

"So the general mustn't have a single mistake." Reever's face turned serious. "But the situation's different now. What will he do in a sick twist like this?"

"He's the only one who can decide what to do right now." Komui replied. "All we can do is wait and believe."

Silence had befallen them after the supervisor's last statement as they once again delved into their own thoughts. Nothing can be said now that the wheels of fate took an unexpected turn.

Unknown to the two of them though, a lone figure from the shadows had heard their whole conversation. And as far as what he had heard, he won't stop until he hears the whole story.

-/-/-

-/-/-

_**Brazil, S.A. Branch…**_

"Dr., the files had been downloaded completely from the Oceania Branch. You should be able to see them now."

Shandez sighed in relief at what her assistant said then grabbed a plastic bottle from the table. The bottle contained a greenish black liquid. She stood from her seat then went out from the laboratory with the other woman beside her.

"Want some vegetable juice Mona?" Shandez opened the bottle. Mona looked away with a sweat.

"You may have all of that Dr., I don't really like juices."

"Riigghht. You don't like juices so you gobbled up the apple juice stored in the fridge yesterday. A good excuse Mona, a good excuse. Only that, you're obviously lying."

Mona pouted. "But that juice of yours wasn't even considered juice! That's just a bunch of green leafy vegetables thrown together in a blender. And the worst part is, it tastes horrible!"

"It isn't! It tastes organic and organic is a beautiful taste!"

"You're the only one who thinks that way, Dr."

Shandez gave a small "hmph!" and ignored her assistant. She hummed then giddily drank from the bottle. Mona only grimaced beside her then stopped when she noticed they had arrived at their destination.

"We're here. The computer's ready."

The doctor wiped her lips with her coat sleeve then closed the bottle. She went inside her office then sat on her office chair. She placed the bottle on the desk as she turned to the open computer in front of her.

"Leave me for now Mona. I'll call you when I need something."

"Ok Dr."

Shandez waited for the door to be closed before she finally disabled the screensaver on the monitor and immersed herself on hundreds of files containing every single information on the subject "akuma". She read in satisfaction, taking note that the Oceania Branch was the best when it came to data after all. She continued to scheme through subtopics when a particular subject caught her eye so she entered the link. She grabbed a folder from her file cabinet then compared it to the information from the download.

She's not satisfied with what she discovered though and decided to find another one related to the folder. Half an hour passed and three out of the hundred topics were printed out from the computer. She stared at the printouts.

'_The Origins of Akuma, The Akuma's Life Cycle and The Akuma Making Process…hopefully, I'll be able to get an answer from these files.'_

After three hours…

Shandez released a tired sigh, her back leaning on her chair while she looked up at the ceiling, ocean blue eyes narrowed in half exhaustion and half sadness.

"What are you really planning, God?"

She shook her head and stopped the continuous flow of thoughts inside her head. Remembering what she needed to do, she reached for the telephone beside the computer then dialed numbers. She cleared her throat.

"Good day. This is Dr. Shandez Baker speaking. May I speak with Komui Lee?"

At the Main Headquarters, Komui was currently speaking with Lenalee and the others at the lounge when Reever entered with a hurried expression on his face. The Chinese glomped his sister.

"No! I don't want to leave my Lenalee! I don't want to –

"Supervisor, there's a call from Dr. Shandez of the S.A Branch. She wants to speak with you."

Silence…

"Dr. Shandez?"

"Yes."

"As in Dr. Shandez Adah Baker?"

"(sigh) Yes. Now can you please answer her call now?"

Everybody glanced at the head officer who was still clinging to his pregnant sister in a slight death grip. Komui remained frozen on his position until his expression changed from pouty to dead serious. He released Lenalee gently then stood from the couch, adjusting his glasses for a moment before leaving the lounge without a word. Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda, Miranda, and Krory stared at the supervisor's retreating form in wonder.

"Wow." Miranda muttered. "Was that Komui-san? I hadn't seen him so serious before…"

Lenalee became worried. "Did something happen?"

"Don't worry, nothing happened." Reever quickly replied. He smiled.

"It might be because he's nervous to speak with the Dr."

The others were still confused. "Why would he be nervous?"

"Well…" the Australian sweatdropped. "You see…"

Komui didn't take the handset lying on the table right away when he entered his office. He took a few moments to stare at the gadget. When he had enough staring, he swallowed a lump on his throat then finally picked up the phone. His brows narrowed.

"This is Komui speaking."

"Oh, wow. Komui, it's you!"

Back at Brazil, Shandez was smirking as she leaned on her chair and spoke a greeting on the phone. She smirked more when she heard the other line greet back.

"It's been a long time Komui. How many years was it? 7…6 years?"

"7 years Shandez. Now why did you call?"

"Oh come on, don't be such a spoil sport! Aren't you going to ask how I've been doing?"

"You've been stationed at the Oceania Branch for 3 years, but because of a higher job position offer, you moved to Brazil and became the Head Officer there. You became engaged with an engineer after another 3 years then the two of you married. Now tell me the reason for your call."

"So you've been stalking me Komui. That's bad! How's Lenalee-chan by the way? She's 6 months pregnant now right?"

"She's fine. The information Shandez, I need the information now."

Shandez sighed on her line then leaned back on the computer, her other hand on the mouse as she rolled the scroll button. She was trying to make the atmosphere cheerful, but the person on the other line seemed to be so desperate in wanting the information.

"I'm afraid to say Komui but there's no doubt. The hand General Walker found was from an Akuma."

Komui clenched his fists. "Are you sure? You have any proofs?"

"You know me Komui." The doctor muttered. "I won't stop until I'm sure. Unfortunately, it's not the result we want."

"But how can that be?" the Chinese gripped the edge of his desk. "The Earl _is_ dead. I'm sure of it. There are no Noahs too. All Akumas disappeared that day! They shouldn't have survived that fight! Then now…"

"I don't know too. It's a mystery why there's a corpse of an Akuma found. It's a good thing the general found it earlier because if not –

"Where is he anyway?"

"He's not here. And we don't know when he'll come back. He's been exasperated too when I told him. Maybe that's why he still hadn't returned. He wanted to know where it came from."

Komui sighed. "Is that all? You didn't find anything that can help us solve this?"

Silence…

"Actually there is." Shandez carefully mumbled. "It's just a theory. I'm still not sure –

"Tell me."

The doctor pursed her lips for a moment.

"When I dissected the hand, I found out that the tissues were not joined properly and the molecular composition was completely jammed. But the dark matter was still there, only that it's raw."

"What does that mean?"

"Based on the data, an Akuma body should be as hard as steel – meaning, the tissues should be super intact and not loose. Also, the dark matter should be distributed equally throughout the body. Not raw because the matter wouldn't spread precisely."

"That contradicts your descriptions on the sample."

"Exactly. That's because the data tells about a _perfectly_ created akuma. After researching, I came up with the possibility that the found sample was from a failed creation."

"Failed creation?" Komui thought for a moment. "Don't tell me…!"

"Yes Komui. Someone else is trying to manufacture akumas."

Silence reigned from both the phone lines at the sudden revelation. Komui didn't speak and only stared straight, not noticing that his knuckles were turning white from clenching the desk's edge. Cold sweat started to roll down his temples. It can't be.

"The Earl is the only one who can make akuma…are you really –

"No, it's really not that Earl." Shandez breathe. "Because if it was him, then there won't be a failed attempt. He's been doing that for centuries after all. He can't fail."

"So you think there's another person?"

"Probably, yes. I don't know what that person is thinking. But he might be someone close enough to the Earl to know the procedure. Sadly for him, he can't do it right and accidentally gave us a warning."

Komui digested her words. "Have you told the other branches yet?"

"No. The only ones who knew are me, my assistant and you…if you're gonna tell Reever then it's the four of us."

"What about General Walker?"

"He only knows that the sample is from an Akuma. But he still doesn't know this theory that I came up with."

A pregnant pause.

"What now Komui? What are you planning to do?"

Komui shook his head. "I…I don't know."

Shandez ran a hand through her unbraided hair. She thought of something to say, anything witty like what she used to tell him years ago. But her mind processed none and she only came up with something different. She hoped it can at least comfort him.

"Komui." She mumbled. "Don't rush things, and don't feel responsible. No one expected this to happen. It's a sudden twist of events so…so let's trust General Walker. Let's believe he can get to the bottom of this."

"I know and I do believe in that brat."

"I'm sorry this is all I can do Komui. Until the general brings new information, I can't tell you more."

"It's ok. You've done more than enough Shandez, as expected from you."

Shandez bit her lip. "Komui, I…"

She paused in hesitance as she played with a strand off her raven hair, her fingers trembling a bit. She heard him ask if there was something she wanted to say, making her stiff with his question.

"Komui, I just want you to know that…"

"That?"

"…That…you received wrong information. I'm not married. The engagement was canceled off."

"…"

She frowned at the lack of response.

"I just want you to know, that's all! Don't assume things!"

"Hmmm…I don't remember being interested in wanting to know."

"Wha-? Hmph. You're as stupid as before Komui. I won't call you anymore. Goodbye!"

"Good. Don't call again. Goodbye too."

The Chinese heard her hang up on the other line but remained holding the handset to his ear, as if expecting he would hear more from her. After a moment though, he realized what he was doing was stupid so he shook his head then gently returned the phone. He sighed.

The events were happening so fast…Allen's classified mission…Lenalee's pregnancy…the akuma…then his sort-of reunion with _that_ woman. His sister's pregnancy was enough to make him crazy with worries, and now someone was trying to instigate another war? Then _she_ told him she's not married. What was he supposed to do with all the problems?

He took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. Shandez was right. He shouldn't panic. They were lucky they had found out about the akuma sooner. It gave them a bigger chance to stop whatever evil move someone was trying to pull off. He would just have to believe in Allen for the time being.

After that resolve, he let a smile crawl back to his lips. Lenalee's the most important for him, and he's sure the same went with Allen. He shouldn't let the threatening danger show in his face, especially now that she's in a delicate condition. If a smile can temporarily hide the reality behind the peacefulness she and her friends thought they were finally living in, then he will do his best to maintain a smile always on his face.

He exited his office after arranging some files on his desk. With the cheery smile on his lips, he began skipping towards the lounge.

"Lenalee! My sweet Lenalee! Nii-san's going back to you now!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

Shandez laughed bitterly on her chair after she hanged up on the phone. She can't believe it! She had told him she's not married! What was she thinking? As if he would…

She bonked herself on the head, deciding that there's no use thinking about unimportant things. She should focus on their current situation at the moment. She leaned to her desk and grabbed her bottle of vegetable juice. She quickly opened the cap then drank greedily.

"Ah! That felt good!"

She wiped her mouth with her coat after drinking then patted her cheeks with her hands as if telling herself to wake up. After she did that, she took the handset from the phone again then pushed the number "1".

"Mona, come here. I want you to do something."

After a few minutes, the door opened and in came the brown-haired assistant. Shandez motioned for her to come nearer, which the younger woman obeyed.

"What is it Dr.?"

"We need to contact General Walker now. I want you to find his whereabouts."

"Ok." Mona paused. "But it might take long."

"It's alright. When you contact him, tell him to come back as soon as possible."

"Then I'll go do that now."

Mona waited for her superior's nod then turned around to exit the room. She was almost at the door when she gasped as if she forgot something then turned again to face the doctor. Shandez raised an eyebrow at her.

"Something wrong Mona?"

"I just remembered Dr.," she approached the other female. "I received a call from the Central Office 30 minutes ago."

"Why did they call?"

"They said two officers will be arriving here soon."

Shandez frowned. "And why would 2 officers from the Central come here?"

"They said those two were assigned here. They will be overseeing things here as soon they arrive."

"Argh. Nosy officers again!" the doctor sighed. "Who are those two officers?"

Mona sweatdropped. "Miss Lucille Bashkir and Mr. Gerald Vail."

"What?" Shandez almost fell from her seat. "Those two again? If this isn't bad luck then I don't know what this is!"

"So…should I prepare the guest rooms?"

"Of course. You know how Bashkir is."

"Ok. That's all Dr. I'll be going now."

Shandez twitched her eyebrows the moment Mona left then stood up from her chair. She grabbed her bottle and a few folders before walking out of her office. Of all the officers, why them? She had a lot to think about and had no time to deal with officers. On top of that, they still had to find Allen Walker as soon as possible.

Meanwhile…

"Royal flush."

The streets were not as busy as what it usually was during weekdays, which was quite unusual if one would try to ponder about it. Despite that, the people still continued their daily lives. Students were rushing to catch the last ring of their school bell while housewives tried their best to bargain for the most affordable price at the vegetable and fruit stands.

On the other hand, not all people were that busy to rush back to whatever they had been doing and had the time to do recreational activities. Such events can be seen in early opened bars near the business district and the cabarets.

"Damn. That's our fourth loss. You're amazing, kid."

A smile. "I had practice."

The unemployed but rich men at the fifth bar were amazed at the newcomer who entered the bar an hour ago. They thought he was joking when he joined their poker game, but after a few rounds, they were almost penniless.

"Want to join our club kid? You can become rich."

"Thank you for the offer, but I have enough money already."

"Yeah. With that money you snatched away from us, of course you're rich now!"

"Say kid, how old are you anyway? What's with the white hair?"

"I'm only 20. Please don't mind the hair color."

"20 huh? Wanna date my cousin? She's one of the prettiest here."

Another smile. "No thanks. I'm already engaged and soon to be a father."

"Oh…you're a lucky bastard! So, is she pretty?"

"Very much. She's the most beautiful."

"Haha! All engaged men say that!"

Collected laughter.

Suddenly, the man of the moment slowly stood from his seat and took the small but heavy pouch bag beside him. He bowed to the men slightly with the smile still on his lips.

"I'm very sorry, but I'm afraid I have to go now. Thank you for your time."

There were disappointed murmurs around after he said that.

"Couldn't you stay a bit longer kid? How about a bigger bet?"

"I really can't. I have to return to work."

"Well, we can't force you. Make sure to come back. We'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to come back then."

The young man then exited the bar, his left gloved hand holding the pouch bag. He grinned for a moment at the heaviness of the bag's weight before tucking it inside his long coat. When he's sure the money's safely hidden, his face suddenly fell to a serious expression with his silver eyes unwavering on the road.

"Now that I had my fun," he started walking. "It's time to go back to business."

But the door to the bar opened and out came a man from the poker game. He looked around and saw the white-haired lad walking away from the vicinity.

"Wait kid!"

A halt. "Yes?"

"What's your name? We forgot to ask!"

Another smile. "Allen Walker!"

* * *

AN: I'm glad I was able to slip this between homework! Haha! Just as I promised, Allen finally appeared in this chapter!...although it's only a brief scene (please don't kill me!) Don't worry, you'll see more of Allen in the next updates while not much of Lenalee will be shown (since I think she already has enough part in this story…) I'm afraid the AxL scenes will be shortened too...(again, don't kill me! T.T)

Anyway, please be patient! This story is nearing its end so it won't be long before Allen returns to his love!(and it brings BUCKETS of AxL) XD Unless I think of more ideas…and let them suffer further in their loneliness… – evil laughter –

Love you guys! Please review! ;)


	9. The Appearance

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

It's been three hours since Allen left the bar he played his latest poker game. Though he told them he'll come back, he won't be able to do as what he promised. Many things had happened in only the short span of three weeks – the weeks when he found a seemingly familiar hand not far away from a bloody murder scene. Upon seeing the body part, he felt an awful sense of dread in the pit of his stomach so he went to the South American Branch and had it examined. A part of him already knew where that hand came from, but he refused to believe it. He didn't want to believe the inner voice that told him it was a hand from a long time enemy that should have been gone since a year ago.

Then after a week of staying at the S. A. Branch, the branch head told him the news. His suspicions were correct…the hand he found was from an akuma. He was shocked and angry upon knowing and wanted them to do the process again. Maybe they're just mistaken like what he had hoped, that it's not an akuma and was just a sickening grotesque hand of the murder victim. But the look from the doctor's face told him that she didn't like the result either. And without her saying, he knew she wanted for some miracle to happen and change what was currently happening.

He hadn't slept that much since then. His appetite had even dropped to half. All the happy thoughts that played in his mind were suddenly replaced with the days of the dark war and the image of the evil entity that caused many painful memories and countless deaths. He didn't want those times to happen again. He didn't want to return to the war. But it seemed that history was repeating itself once again. The sick twist of fate that had happened can only mean thing.

And so his next days since that week were spent on recklessly looking for clues or maybe another body part from an akuma corpse. He looked continuously and moved from one city to another. He was desperately hoping there was something, anything that can tell him what he should do. He had to find something sooner or else he's sure to become crazy with desperation.

The pressure due to his mission didn't help at all. He was supposed to locate and destroy anything his arch enemy may had left after the war. It looked easy. He would just roam around, wait for his cursed eye to activate then when finally locating the target, he would just have to destroy it. But it was not that simple. If he had missed even a small remnant of the earl, then many will be put into danger. The blame will surely be upon him.

He had been doing that for exactly four months now, just moving from one place to another and observing like a security officer in a highly protected vicinity. His search was near to end. He had been to Asia, Oceania, Africa, Russia, Europe, even the icy landscapes of Alaska, North America then finally the other half. He had convinced himself that everything will end as soon as he left the continent. He had felt within him that finally, he would…

"Mommy! Mommy! I want that one!"

"Strawberries sweetie? But we have to buy bread first."

Allen's thoughts were stopped after unintentionally hearing the voices of a mother and her child in front of a food stand. The little girl was pulling her mother to the stand, little fingers pointing to the small red fruit beside the mangoes. The mother on the other hand, obviously had no intention of buying the fruits as she already reserved their money for more important commodities such as bread. But the daughter was still persistent. She wouldn't let her mother leave the stand until she gave in and buy the fruit. It didn't help that the stand owner was joining the little girl in persuading the mother.

"Excuse me, how much would be a kilo of those strawberries?"

Allen didn't even know when he had went beside the mother and asked the price of the argued fruit. The woman was surprised at his sudden intrusion while the stand owner went to him in delight.

"That would be 20 dollars sir." (AN: I have no idea how much strawberries cost in S.A. so please pardon me). The exorcist nodded then turned to the little girl, a smile on his face.

"Would that be enough, little miss?"

The woman was even more surprised at his question as her daughter's face lit up in sudden joy. Allen smiled wider upon seeing the girl's happy face.

"That will last until tomorrow mister! Thank –

"I-It's ok young man!" the woman cut in, pushing the girl behind her. "You don't have to! My daughter will forget about it eventually! There's no need to –

Allen shook his head. "It's alright ma'am. I don't mind spending for her."

He didn't let the mother argue further and quickly gave the owner money after taking a plastic bag of the strawberries. He crouched down to the little girl and held the plastic bag to her, the smile still on his lips.

"Here you go! I hope you'll enjoy them."

The daughter giddily took the plastic bag in delight then without warning, pulled away from her mother's hand and wrapped her little arms around Allen's neck. The male tensed.

"Thank you very much mister! I can give you some if you want!"

He wasn't sure what to say and had glanced up to the girl's mother, who seemed to finally let her daughter accept the gift and had smiled at him in gratitude. The gesture made him relaxed so without hesitation, he raised a hand and patted the girl's back gently in an affectionate manner.

"You can have them all. Go to your mother now."

The girl nodded at what he said then pulled away, jumping to her mother's side in a second then turned to Allen who already stood.

"I thank you again, young man. We'll repay you."

Allen shook his head. "There's no need ma'am! It's really ok. It doesn't bother me."

After that, the woman gave her farewell then walked away from the stand. She pulled her daughter with her as they slowly blended with the crowd. Allen watched them for a minute longer, until he saw the little girl look back and smile at him, waving her petite hands in a gesture of goodbye and thank you.

Seeing that innocent scene play in front of him made him smile bitterly. The woman reminded him of Lenalee, and the girl as the growing baby inside Lenalee's womb. The memory of his love and their still unborn child made his heart clench in apprehension and disappointment. His inability to see them had been slowly gnawing his heart in a painful manner yet he managed to survive by telling himself that it will soon be over and he will be able to return to them. But the sudden entrance of a frightening possibility had crushed those thoughts in an instant. He was dying to see them soon, to give Lenalee a warm kiss and lean his ear on her womb to hear his child inside. He had been longing to do that in all those four months and he was sure he would be able to very soon. But seeing the current turn of events had pushed Lenalee farther from him, so far that he's afraid he won't be returning soon like what he had hoped.

Because he had promised her a good and peaceful future, a tomorrow where there's only him, he and their child, that he had to do everything he can to prevent the dark possibility from coming true. He didn't want to return to her bearing news of another war. He didn't want his child to be born into a chaotic world like what he had experienced. And as long as he still hadn't accomplished what he must do, he won't be returning to the ones he loved.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"We should be going now you know."

"There's a lot of time Gerald! Go drink your milkshake."

"I bet the S. A. branch is already waiting for our arrival."

"Then let them wait! Don't worry about those underdogs. Are you going to drink that?"

Gerald Vail sighed then gently pushed the tall milk shake glass towards the young woman in front of him. He shook his head when the female took the glass with glee and started sipping from the straw. He shouldn't be there, drinking milkshake at an outdoor snack bar, when he was supposed to be at the South American branch by that time. But his partner always had to have unnecessary stops whenever she saw something her eyes liked. If he counted all the times they took a break and do whatever she wanted to do, the milkshake would be the 15th stop in their whole journey to Brazil.

"After that Lucille, we're going to the branch."

"Stop acting like the boss here Gerald. Let me drink this peacefully ok?"

That's right. Though they're both officers at the Central Administration, unfortunately for Gerald, Lucille was given the commanding position in their group. The first time they met, he didn't mind. After all, she was a very beautiful 18-year-old New Yorker with long vermilion locks and emerald eyes. Who wouldn't want to work under a babe like that? But after a few months of working with her, he regretted his admiration and forced himself not to abandon her. She was the bossiest, most spoiled, self-centered person he had ever known and that kind of person was not what he had imagined to have as a partner. Screw her outer appearance. He had hidden the desire to have her killed since meeting her because they cannot change partners anymore. Though it hurt his pride as a man, he did whatever she wanted him to do and worked off most of their duties. After a year of being a team with her, he found himself not complaining anymore and had given up in his what-ifs.

"I want a slice of blueberry pie."

Gerald sighed. "I'll go order a slice then. Where's your money?"

"I don't have any already. Pay it for now."

"What? But I –

"Oh, it's just a slice ok? It's not as if you're gonna buy the whole pie!"

_'Yeah, but the blueberry one is more expensive than the others!'_ Gerald thought as he left their table and went to the counter to order what she wanted.

Lucille stuck out her tongue when her partner left his seat. Gerald was so unmanly for her opinion. He always did whatever she wanted and had never disobeyed her since they became a team. But it's not as if she didn't like it. Her partner's as good as a tamed dog – the perfect imagery of how she wanted her partner to be. Add the fact that she kind of liked him…but not the "romantic" like! He's not even good-looking. Dark brown hair, brown eyes, Asian, and a thin body built was not the picture of her ideal guy. She wanted someone unique, someone mysterious, someone like…

"You dropped this miss."

She stopped her contemplations at the unfamiliar voice and looked at her right where a gloved hand holding her silk handkerchief greeted her sight. She slowly took it as her eyes traveled upward from the person's hand, arm, shoulders…and face.

Her heart skipped a bit. The person was staring down at her with deep silver eyes and although he's wearing a hood, she can see a few strands of white hair falling from the hood. Then a weird star-like scar ran along his left eye.

A smile. "Be careful next time ok? Please excuse me…"

"Y-Yes. Thank you very much."

She just sat there as the person went on his way and slowly blended with the busy people. She can't believe it! She just met her dream guy! After many years of wait, she had finally…!

She slapped herself inwardly when she realized she hadn't asked the guy's name or his number. Now how lame is that? A hot guy had just talked to her! And all she did was sit there and stutter like an idiot. How can she meet him again then?

"Here's your blueberry pie."

Gerald arrived a few seconds later with a plate of the small slice on his hand. He placed the pastry in front of her then sat on his chair. Lucille leaned to him.

"Guess what happened, Gerald!"

"-sigh- what happened?"

"-giggle- I just met Mr. Perfect a few minutes ago!"

The male rolled his eyes. How many times had he heard that line again?

"Are you listening?"

Oh right. He was supposed to ask how the guy looked like.

"Yes. I'm listening. How does he look like? And can you eat that slice now?"

"He's so handsome! He has silver-gray eyes with a scar across his left eye and cheek then soft white hair. I was like 'dude, isn't that total mysterious?' on top of that, he was so gentlemanly! And his smile was –

"Wait." Gerald cut in. "Did you just say a scar across his left eye and cheek then white hair?"

Lucille frowned. "Yes, I said that. You're not listening aren't you?"

The male ignored her glare. "There's only one person in the world who fits all your descriptions…"

"Riiight…anyway – what?" Lucille grabbed his arm. "You know him?"

"Everyone knows him. That person must be General Allen Walker, age is 20. He was the one who killed the Millennium Earl and is most famous for his innocence – the Crown Clown. He's currently on a classified mission."

"Oh my god, he's only a year older than us!...How come I didn't know all of that fyi's?"

'_That's because you're too lazy to pay attention to the world!' _Gerald cleared his throat.

"They say you can recognize him with his scar, an akuma pentacle in fact, gray eyes and white hair."

"So he's General Walker…where can I find him?"

"If he's here…then he must be staying at the S.A branch."

"The S.A. branch…" Lucille suddenly stood up from her seat. "We're going now Gerald."

Gerald gawked. "What? But the blueberry –

"Forget about that! You wanted to go there right away anyway!" she grabbed his arm up to force him to stand.

"Come on you slow poke! They're probably waiting for us!"

'_And you just said to let them wait!'_ "Alright, alright! Just let me grab that slice of pie first! I paid for it after all!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

Allen sighed as he sat on the sidewalk with a reckless thud. He took off his hood, revealing the white locks that fell to his face with his movement. Some people glanced at him weirdly. He ignored them and raised his sleeved arm to wipe the sweat forming on his forehead. How long had he been walking anyway? He let his arm fall to his side after wiping his temples and closed his eyes for a moment. He had done nothing but walk around the town since he left the bar that morning and had even skipped lunch. Yes, he had SKIPPED lunch because he was desperate for anything related to akuma. He was so into his search that he ignored the call of his stomach and continued his search.

But he began regretting skipping his meal now that his body's already complaining with the lack of energy. He shouldn't have skipped lunch. If only he had eaten then he wouldn't be sitting on a sidewalk and staring into space as if his mind can't think anymore. He slowly reached inside his coat and took out a small silver pocket watch. He smiled, remembering it was Lavi's congratulatory gift to him when he became a general. With his thumb, he opened the cover and glanced at the hour and second hands.

_'4:15'_ he thought for a moment while returning the watch to his coat. _'I can grab a few sandwiches at a snack bar. Maybe some hamburgers and cakes too.'_

RINNGG…RINNGG…RINNGG…

He diverted his gaze to his left where a telephone booth stood beside a lamp post. The phone inside was ringing. He contemplated if he should pick it up or not as he stood from his sitting position. He considered not picking it up since it might be a prankster, besides the fact that he's in a hurry to go and eat at any snack bar nearby. But being the good citizen that he was, his conscience told him to go to the telephone booth and pick it up. Who knows maybe it was a call for help? Then if it was really a prankster, he could just tell the person off and proceed to his food festival. No harm done.

So he went to the booth and grabbed the handset from its body. He cleared his throat and leaned his ear on the receiver.

"Hello? This is a public telephone so if you –

"General Walker?"

Allen paused at the familiarity of the voice. "Mona Vasquez? Is that you?"

"Yes, and thank God I finally found you!"

"Is there a problem? And how did you know I was here?"

"It took me forever to locate you General! If only you had stayed in one place then I should have found you sooner! Add the fact that you didn't have a golem…"

The General sweatdropped. "Well, master took Timcanpy before he left so…why are you looking for me anyway?"

"Oh right! The doctor wants you to return here now. She already talked to the Main Headquarters so she wanted to know your next plan."

"…"

Allen thought for a moment. He wanted to roam around more but just walking around without a clear plan wouldn't work. It would be better to just return and think of something with someone smart like Dr. Shandez. And Mona said they already told the Main H.Q.

'_So Komui-san already knows…'_

"General?"

"Ah? Tell… the doctor I'll be returning now. I might arrive by midnight but I was hoping you could –

"Prepare food. Yes, don't worry about it."

Allen grinned. "Great! I'll move along now."

"Ok General. We'll be waiting for your arrival."

"Thanks. Goodbye."

The white haired exorcist then returned the handset to the telephone's body and exited the booth. He pulled the hood up and covered his head again, casting a shadow over his pentacle on his left eye. He had to return to the S. A. branch now, but he would still stop by a snack bar first. After all, he still needed the energy to travel back.

He grinned when he spotted an eatery nearby and turned to its direction. He already took a few steps when three teenage boys ran in his direction in a fast but reckless pace. With his quick reflexes, he managed to avoid them in time and continued on his walk towards the eatery.

"HELP! THEY STOLE MY PURSE!"

But a woman came running in the same direction the boys ran into a few seconds later with a frantic look on her face. Allen stopped then turned 360 degrees before speeding after the three boys he just avoided. He inwardly groaned before glancing back at the snack bar a few meters away. _'Wait for me Michael's Eatery! I'll definitely come back!'_

Some males tried to run after the thieves also. But he was much faster than them so they were quickly left behind. He never strayed his eyes off the three and soon enough, he had caught up with them and grabbed a boy by the collar.

"Ack!" the boy tried to squirm away but the exorcist tightened his gaze.

"Return the lady's purse!"

The boy stuck out his tongue. "Hell no!"

The thief was quick and had thrown the purse before Allen could make a move. The purse flew into the air for 3 seconds then finally landed to the other two boy's hands a few meters away. The accomplices raised their middle finger at him before dashing out. Allen frowned then shoved the boy he captured to the side, leaving the towns people to punish him.

He ran towards the two boys and speed up his pace than before. The boys noticed the change in his speed and had gone to the side alleys in different directions. He briefly noticed their quick transfer of the purse before parting ways. He smirked. As if he couldn't see something like that! He took a turn to the right where one of the boys went then quickly glanced at his surroundings. He considered using crown belt but he could hurt the boy so he dismissed the idea, although it will make things much easier. He passed a few alleys then took a left turn, surprising the boy who just turned there. Allen didn't waste a second and had disappeared then reappeared behind the boy, wrapping an arm around the thief's neck in the process. The boy gasped for air.

"I'll let you go if you give me the purse."

The boy shook his head. Allen tightened his grip.

"It's bad to steal from people. Please return the purse now. You're not the only ones who needed money in this world."

The thief seemed to give up and finally nodded. He reached for his pocket and threw a red silk purse on the ground. Allen smiled before letting go of the boy. He leaned down and took the purse.

The thief quickly ran away after that while the exorcist only watched him go before standing up. He let those boys escape for now. But he won't be helping them next time if they ever do that again.

He looked for the woman immediately and had returned the purse. After checking its contents, the woman gratefully thanked him then went on her way. Allen sighed in relief when the woman left. The commotion's over, finally he can go to Michael's Eatery and –

"Aaaaahhhh!"

He jerked his head to the opposite direction together with the other people when a loud scream emerged nearby. The people began running towards the scream's direction. He sweatdropped and reluctantly followed the people. What now?

His face turned serious when the smell of blood filled the air as he dismissed any thoughts of food for awhile. A crowd of people was forming inside an alley while others tried to go in and see what happened. He squeezed his way through the crowd, the stench becoming stronger and stronger until he came on the front line. He widened his eyes.

The three thieves were on the ground, blood splattered everywhere with their bodies dead. Murmurs erupted through the onlookers while he stared down the ladies in shock. What just happened?

And then he felt it.

In an instant, his body turned to stone as electricity shot through his body. Suddenly, he was the only one there. He ignored everything and only focused on the sickening familiar sensation that filled his chest. A cold sweat ran down his temples as he gaped his mouth open. He began trembling.

"Akuma…"

He stood still and focused on his new sight. Places played in fast forward as if scanning every nook and cranny of the whole town. Then suddenly, it stopped. The back of a man was shown, a tormented soul of a woman clung to him. He gritted his teeth at the scene. That man was the one who killed the thieves.

He roughly turned around and pushed the people away, ignoring their curses and complaints thrown to him. He ran desperately through the streets, recalling the way his left eye showed. As he tried to catch the one he's after, his mind can only process one thing…

'_An akuma…there's an akuma…my pentacle just activated…told me there's an akuma in this town…I killed the Earl…I was hoping the hand I found was just a remain form the war…but an akuma just appeared…did I fail?...did I…'_

His unstable thoughts stopped as he went into a halt upon arriving at the town's outskirts. The man was only a few meters away from him, walking leisurely as if he's sight-seeing. The soul that clung to the man turned towards him, its face twisted in deep suffering and despair. She was asking for his help. The exorcist felt dread sunk into him. He thought he could finally live without their images of hell filling his head. But there it was, the scene playing in front of him once again!

"Akuma!"

The man stopped at his call and slowly turned around to face him. Eyes crazed with a wicked smile as he stared at him.

Allen fell into a fighting stance. "Tell me, where did you come from?"

The man tilted his head to the side then laughed maniacally.

"NYAHAHAHAHA! And why would I tell you?"

The man's body burst and was replaced with a hideous figure of a level two akuma. The exorcist gritted his teeth and prepared to attack.

"Guess I have to kill you now!"

He was about to do Cross Grave, when the akuma stopped moving then started shaking violently. He stopped on his attack then jumped away from the akuma. He stared in wonder at the demon. _'What's happening?'_

BOOM!

Suddenly, the shaking stopped and the akuma exploded into bits. Allen jumped farther at the explosion's intensity. After a few moments of letting the surroundings calm down, Allen went out from his position and carefully approached the place where the explosion occurred. Limbs and other body parts greeted him. He stared at the mangled corpse in confusion. The akuma was obviously dead, but why did it explode? His attacks didn't even made contact with its body. Did it self-destruct?

_**Thank you for saving me…**_

His attention diverted suddenly to the woman's soul now free from its bondage. He nodded and let the soul slowly disappear when he remembered something important.

"Wait!" Allen called out. "What happened? How did you become an Akuma?"

The soul was disappearing in a faster pace when he voiced out his question. The only statement that the soul had said was an incomplete sentence:

_**A woman – **_

Allen called out once more, but the soul ws already gone. He looked down at the corpse as he gritted his teeth. His innocence deactivates and he clenched his fists. Someone was making akumas. Someone was trying to stir up another holy war. He collapsed by his knees to the ground, in front of the akuma's remains as he looked up.

"Dammit!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

Shandez tried to maintain the smile on her face as she stared at the two individuals sitting on _her _couch. One – the male, was sitting normally and had some respect for the owner of the furniture. She didn't have a problem with him since he was the _normal_ one in their team. And speaking of their team, the other – a female will always comes out first. The female officer was the talk of the town after all. But that didn't mean _she_ can sit on her couch like _that_. Who told her she can cross her legs and distract her men with those showy lower limbs of hers? And she had the nerve to spread her slimy red hair on her furniture! Was she trying to seduce the poor male scientists?

"I'm bored…"

Lucille murmured with a moan. Shandez resisted the urge to stamp an electrical tape on the officer's mouth. Gerald seemed to notice her annoyance for his partner so he smiled apologetically at her, as if saying to excuse the female officer's manners. She only inwardly scoffed at that, wondering why Gerald hadn't killed his partner yet.

"Ne, Shandez…"

That's the other thing she didn't like about Lucille. The girl had no sense of respect. She didn't care about the age of others. As long as she had the higher position, she would treat the other people as lower dogs. She was that bitchy.

"What is it officer?"

"When is Allen-kun gonna arrive?"

"A-Allen-kun…?"

"Yes dummy! The general? When is he arriving?"

As Gerald reminded his partner why she should call Allen as General Walker, Shandez only turned around form them and glared at a painting hanged from a wall. The scientists who were listening suddenly stirred away from her. They knew that their branch head had a long line of patience, but if it snaps…

Shandez took a very deep breath. Relax…Relax…she told herself as she regained her right senses. _'The bitch has no intellect. She doesn't have enough common sense to know that she should be calling our savior in a more appropriate way. She didn't know that there's only one person who can call him "Allen-kun." She's stupid, so forgive her. Forgive her…'_

She took another deep breath and smiled when she was already calm. She would just have to explain to Lucille that Allen Walker should be respected properly, that she's not allowed to act bitchy and flirtatious towards –

"Doctor! The General finally arrived!"

All heads whipped towards the direction of the voice as Mona walked to the lounge with a familiar figure trailing behind her. Shandez momentarily forgot the two officers as she walked briskly towards Allen to greet him.

"General! Finally, you returned! We were waiting."

Lucille and Gerald didn't fail to notice the newcomer and quickly followed Shandez. Gerald was speechless upon seeing the person who saved them all while Lucille combed her hair with her hand and licked her lips. She smirked.

"Allen, It's nice to meet you –

"Doctor Shandez."

Lucille frowned when the General utterly ignored her and faced the doctor instead. Shandez inwardly stuck her tongue at Lucille for a moment before turning to Allen. She raised her eyebrows when she noticed the white haired exorcist not smiling at all unlike what he usually did. She was about to ask when he suddenly held to her a heavily covered bag. He narrowed his eyes.

"I encountered an akuma."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Aria! Where are you?"

At the outskirts of the town, a girl about 10 years old emerged chewing a gum in her mouth with her arms folded at the back of her head. Her blue eyes were narrowed in laziness with her blonde hair hidden in a baseball cap.

"Come out now Aria! I need that skateboard!"

She stopped walking when she saw trails of blood from the soil below her. He lowered her arms from her head and let them rest at her sides. She followed the trails until she came to a spot where blood red greeted her. The girl looked at the bloodied ground in delight.

"Oooh! Something definitely happened here! Wonder what that is…"

"I saw everything Miss Diana."

The girl looked up at a tree nearby and saw a white cat sitting casually at a branch. She frowned as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Aria you idiot! I was looking for you! And don't call me with that _girly_ name! Call me Dan! DAN!"

The cat didn't say anything and only jumped from the branch, landing gracefully to the ground with a light thud. It went towards her, feline eyes flashing.

"You are not allowed to play today miss. You have piano lessons."

"Ugh. I don't like the piano ok? Give me my skateboard!"

"I can't. I'm very sorry miss."

"…Hmph. Whatever. Just tell me instead the events that happened here."

Aria's eyes flashed more as it locked gazes with Dan. The girl's eyes widen a bit as scenes flashed through her mind. She saw a man, three teenage boys, a somewhat battle, and then a white-haired man…

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Dan laughed maniacally as she diverted her gaze from the cat's eyes to the blood on the ground. She stared at the crimson color and spitted the gum she's chewing.

"Too bad that akuma was still not perfect."

Suddenly, gray covered her skin as 7 stigmata appeared on her forehead. Her eyes became yellow. She released a crazed smile.

"At least I finally got to see _him_!"

Aria revealed her fangs as if smirking. "We should tell the Mistress about this."

Dan pouted. "No way! She'll know I skipped that stinky piano lesson!"

"Too late miss. She's contacting us now."

Dan was about to argue when Aria's eyes turned void and a dark smile appeared on its lips. The girl tensed as she recognized the menacing curve of the cat's lips and the way it stared at her with dark joy even with the void eyes.

"M-Mama…?"

The cat grinned.

"How's piano lessons, my dear?"

* * *

AN: Sorry for the long wait! I was supposed to post this on Friday, but I was so happy with all the reviews I got from this and from my one-shot that I changed my mind and decided to finish it today instead! Thank you so much for those of you who read "_August Romance"_! I'm glad you liked it!

And once again, I'm sorry for the errors (I know, I should try harder…XD) that you may find. I was concentrating in my math lessons more so I didn't have much time to focus on my English. But anyway, I hope you still find this chapter as consistent as the previous ones.

That will be all people! Please review! ;)


	10. The Meddling

Standard disclaimer applied…

* * *

"A woman huh?..."

"That was the only thing the soul managed to speak out."

"Too bad…"

Shandez leaned her back on the window sill as she crossed her arms in deep thinking. It had only been last night since Allen finally arrived at their branch after weeks of no contact. What she didn't expect though, was for him to hand over another sample of an akuma corpse together with the news that he found out something very important about the current events. It was then when she told the General her theory that there's someone other than the Earl who's been trying to make an akuma army. Allen's discovery had only confirmed their speculation.

Now, if only they had found out who that woman was…

"Tch."

Her thoughts were stopped at the sound that escaped from Allen's lips. Her eyes slowly went to him.

"I'm sorry Dr." Allen muttered under his breath, fists clenching a bit. "If I had tried harder, then we should have gotten a lot more than our enemy's gender."

The female stared at him for a moment then chuckled.

"Don't be too hard on yourself General Walker. No one expected that encounter anyway. Besides, surely there'll be a lot of chances to gather information. What you'd found out was a very big step towards what we want to achieve."

Allen nodded. "Yeah but, I want to find out as soon as possible. There's a new enemy out there. I have to know the next step I should take."

"The next step you should take is to share what you know to the officers who overheard."

The two halted in their talk with the interruption of a red-haired officer and her partner. Shandez narrowed her eyes upon seeing the two officers enter the room without even asking permission. Lucille brushed some strands of her hair off her shoulder with a graceful swipe of her hand as she stared at the white-haired exorcist beside the doctor.

"Allen Walker, it's nice to finally meet you."

Allen gave a glance to the girl then turned to the older female as if asking some explanation. Lucille frowned a bit but turned to Shandez also.

"Shandez, our introductions."

A vein popped at the doctor's forehead but she did what she was told to. She cleared her throat and forced her voice to come out.

"General Walker, this is Officer Lucille Bashkir and her partner Officer Gerald Vail. They've come from the Central Office to observe and supervise."

At the introductions, Allen smiled and held out his hand to the both of them.

"It's also nice to meet you."

Lucille didn't take the hand and instead, stood up on her toes and planted a small kiss on the male's cheek. Allen froze, causing the girl to smirk.

"That's how I greet the people I like, Allen-kun."

Allen didn't say anything and only managed a raised eyebrow and a slight blush on his cheeks. Did she just call him _Allen-kun_?

Satisfied with what she had done, Lucille pulled away and walked passed him to seat on the chair beside Shandez's desk. Gerald inwardly sighed at his partner's antics as he approached the general and took his hand to shake it.

"I'm Gerald Vail, General Walker. It's an honor to meet you." He leaned to Allen's ear.

"Please excuse my partner's actions. She's just…really eager to see you. It would benefit all of us if you just ignore what she had done."

Allen didn't know what to say so he only smiled at the other male then turned to Shandez – who was already glaring at the female officer. Lucille was too busy arranging her hair in front of a small mirror on the desk to actually notice that all attention was already towards her.

"Officer Bashkir, please explain what you mean when you said you _overheard_."

Lucille continued brushing her locks with her fingers but spared a glance at the doctor who mentioned the question.

"It meant what it implied, Shandez."

"So the two of you overheard our conversation?"

"Ugh. What else?"

Shandez resisted another urge of murderous intent while Allen sweatdropped at the supervisor's expression. Lucille didn't pay any attention to the intense aura around Shandez.

"Now," she twirled a finger in a lock of her hair. "Tell me everything about what's really happening."

Allen and Shandez both pursed their lips in a moment. There's no use hiding it now.

After a few minutes…

"So that's what happened…"

Allen stood still as he waited for what the two officers had to say about the situation. Lucille stood up too and called Gerald to her. The two started talking with each other. Shandez sighed as she went beside the white-haired man.

"They're deliberating."

Allen turned to her. "About the situation?"

"Yes. They're still officers from the Central after all. This kind of scenario is what they are here for."

"Then there's a big chance that we will be forced to tell the Central Administration."

Shandez sighed again. "I'm not sure about that."

Allen raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"It's Lucille Bashkir handling the case. And from the way she's looking at _you_…I doubt she'll do things the way they should be."

The General didn't have a chance to ask what the doctor meant when Lucille suddenly faced them with a sighing Gerald at the background. Shandez grimaced at the big smirk formed on the female officer's lips. Lucille definitely had something up her sleeves.

"After much deliberation, we have come with one decision."

Lucille cleared her throat as Allen and Shandez anticipated what she was going to say.

"We will not tell the Central Administration…yet."

The two listening people simultaneously sighed in relief, though Shandez still refused to relax. The suspicious smirk was still on the bitch's lips so there's no room for relaxation.

Lucille cleared her throat again. "But, in one condition."

Allen suddenly tensed while the doctor inwardly gritted her teeth. Her suspicions were right. The girl did have something wrapped up in their decision and whatever it was, she's sure it was for her selfish whims. She glanced at Gerald to ask for some hint, but the other officer only gave her and Allen a rather hard apologetic look. Shandez gave up and finally answered Lucille.

"What is the condition officer?"

Lucille giggled.

"Allen-kun has to accompany me while I'm here!"

Silence...

Gerald released a big sigh, Shandez's jaw dropped, while Allen stepped back with disbelief. Lucille continued giggling at their reactions and suddenly laced her hands around Allen's right arm – to which the general responded with a surprised stiff body.

"U-Um…" Allen tried to pry off the girl's hands. "I don't think I can do that."

Lucille frowned and tightened her grip. "Why not? It's just a simple condition! Do it or the Central will know!"

Allen gave up trying to pull away from Lucille. Shandez, seeing the distress in the General's face, decided to return back to reality and help him out. She approached the two.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but I believe what you're asking is too much."

Allen sighed in relief with the doctor's interruption. Lucille only frowned further.

"Ugh! What's with you guys? There's nothing wrong with this! I'm single and he's single so –

"Wait."

Shandez quirked an eyebrow as she adjusted her glasses.

"Y-You mean you don't know…?"

"I don't understand what you're saying."

"T-then…"

The doctor tried to prevent a smirk from forming on her lips, but the situation was all too amusing for her that she failed to let down that smirk. _'That bitch is so gonna get it!'_ She crossed her arms then with a clear voice,

"General Walker is already engaged to a worthy female exorcist. Besides that, his fiancée will soon give birth in a few months. In short, the General is already unavailable."

Lucille raised an eyebrow as her grip on Allen's arm lightened.

"What are you saying?"

Gerald decided to back up what Shandez said. After all, you don't get a chance to pummel Lucille too often.

"What Dr. Shandez said was true, Lucille. The General and Ms. Lenalee Lee are in a relationship for five years now. And I'm sure there are no plans for a break-up, especially since Ms. Lee's about to have labor within 3 months."

The female officer froze. "L-Lenalee L-Lee…?"

Shandez nodded. "Yes. She's a very lovely lady of 21 years who fought alongside the General during the war. She was famously known for her beauty, her Dark Boots, and her engagement with General Walker."

"…"

The doctor just loved the mixed feelings that flashed through Lucille's face. Never had she seen the arrogant officer so unstable that for a moment she wanted to laugh right at Lucille's face. _'Yes, yes. Now cry. Come on! Cry in front of me. Show us you're just a spoiled brat!'_

Shandez didn't know when she had gotten so sadistic as to desire the failure of others, but it was too tempting! Especially after remembering those times when that damned officer had treated her and the entire Order as her playground, she can't help but to wish it. That woman was too selfish for her own good.

Unfortunately, Lucille didn't seem to be giving up and had tightened her grip on the General's arm suddenly. Allen tensed again and tried to take a step away from her.

"Lenalee and I are really engaged officer. So please, think of another condition."

She stuck her tongue at Allen. "Sorry, but I won't think of anything else! You WILL accompany me while I'm here!"

Shandez and Gerald can't believe Lucille's insistence.

"Officer, can't you see that the General didn't want to do it?"

"You're going overboard Lucille! You're asking General Walker to be unfaithful!"

Lucille smirked. "His fiancée isn't here to see, stupid! Besides, it's not being unfaithful."

She looked up at Allen. "Unless Allen-kun would prefer me over her…"

Allen can't believe what the woman just said while she batted her long eyelashes at him. Her last statement was repulsive! Him – to choose _her_ over Lenalee?...Impossible! Add the fact that he felt a bit insulted. Did he look like the kind of man to have an affair behind his soon-to-be-wife's back?

His expression became pensive. "I will NEVER betray Lenalee."

There was a silence after his firm remark. Shandez smiled at Allen's sure statement while Gerald glanced at his partner whose face suddenly lost the arrogant expression that was usually there. He was about to call Lucille when she suddenly retrieved her hands around the General's arm and took a few steps away from him. She took a moment to compose herself before she brushed her hair off her shoulders.

"Whatever." She muttered with her usual uncaring accent. "But that doesn't change the fact that we WILL tell the Central if you don't comply with the condition."

Shandez gritted her teeth. That woman wouldn't really admit defeat! Allen sweated a bit as he thought over what she wanted him to do.

"It's just a simple request Allen-kun!" Lucille pressed on. "It's not like I'm asking you to sleep with me. I only want you to be a companion while I roam around town since I'm sick of Gerald's face."

Gerald's eyebrow twitched at the mention of his name. The nerve of her to even say that after all the suffering he went through in order to appease her whims. And as if he's not sick of her face! He would pay a million bucks if anyone could just make her disappear! Meanwhile, Lucille inwardly smirked as she waited Allen's answer. Of course his presence was not enough for her! She _had_ to be the one he would shower his love to. Never mind his whatever-her-name-was fiancée.

She sighed when Allen remained still undecided. "The reason why you don't want us to report is to avoid panic in the entire world. And since it's still part of your mission, you wanted to solve it by yourself. Me and Gerald will stay quiet, you just have to say yes."

A sweat ran down Allen's temples. "You'll really stay quiet?"

"Of course! I have a reputation to keep after all." The female officer checked her nails. "It's either me or the Central. It's an easy choice, Allen-kun."

She smirked at him. "Besides, what are you worried about? You will _never_ betray your fiancée anyway."

Another minute of silence reigned around the room. Allen and Shandez exchanged gazes as if asking the opinion of the other about the condition. Since it seemed that there was nothing they can say to change Lucille's mind, Shandez finally gave in and sighed with a shook of her head. Allen recognized the doctor's submission and decided to give up too.

"Alright." He finally stated. "I'll do it."

-/-/-

-/-/-

Allen sighed as he looked away with an uneasy face. It's already been an hour and a half since he and Lucille Bashkir had left the S.A. Branch. The officer had said that she wanted to go sight-seeing around Brazil and had dragged him out as soon as he and doctor Shandez finally agreed to her condition.

Now, if only she would stop hugging his arm as if it was a super cuddly teddy bear… He had tried to pull away several times but she would be glaring at him with the blackmail of telling the Central. On top of that, the people around them were starting to stare at them and giggle as if they were a lovely couple. And he can't allow that! What if someone from the Order would see him in town with a woman clinging to his arm? What if that person will misunderstand? What if he'll tell Lenalee?

He mentally shook his head. He's being paranoid. The chances for it to happen were very low. Besides, he's the only exorcist in mission right now so the probability of stumbling into a co-exorcist would be as near as zero percent.

But that's not the problem he should be focusing. He should still be looking out for any akuma that may be lurking in between the dark alleyways or walking as if part of the busy crowd. Whatever the situation was, he should be continuing his mission and solve the mystery as soon as possible.

"Allen-kun."

He glanced down at the mention of his name and saw Lucille pouting at him.

"Is there a problem?"

The pout deepened. "You're frowning so hard."

"Hmm?" Allen smiled nervously. "It's nothing. Just thinking over a few things."

"Oh really?" Lucille narrowed her eyes. "Like your fiancée?"

A blush and a bigger smile. "You could say that."

Lucille muttered a very low "hmph!" before she diverted her gaze to the road after her short conversation with the white-haired General. How can he even think of another woman when there she was right beside him ready to be the _one_? Yeah, he had a fiancée but so what? She bet she's so much hotter than that…Lina-whatever.

Her eyes widened a bit when she caught sight of a very familiar person a few meters across the street hiding behind a particularly big bush. She smirked. She just had to be more patient. Soon, everything will happen exactly as she planned and Allen will willingly walk right into her arms.

As the two finally left the street and went into a clothing store, Gerald slowly stood from his hiding place and looked down at the camera he'd been holding. He sighed and went on his way back to the S.A. Branch. Lucille had asked him earlier to keep a trail on her and the General then to take a photo of the two of them together. Of course, he obeyed and had done what he was told. But he had a very bad feeling about the photo as his partner obviously had something planned in her mind.

Noon.

Allen massaged his nape as he leaned on the couch located inside the 5th boutique they went while Lucille was inside the fitting room trying out random dresses. It's been hours since they left the S.A. Branch and he had to admit, he was already very tired and hungry. But the officer he was with had no consideration for him and had told him earlier that she was still in shopping mode and they will not be eating until she was satisfied. For a moment there, he wanted to sneak and escape from her so he could eat as much food as he can, but his gentleman side took the better of him so he stayed – much to his disappointment. If only she's not a girl…

As he sat there waiting for his companion to finish fitting, he noticed a woman at the farthest counter talking to a phone. That was when he remembered he had never called the Main Headquarters for almost a month because he had been very busy and too much focused on his mission. Upon remembering the Main H.Q., an image of Lenalee appeared in his mind in a flash of a second. His brows knitted at the sadness of not being able to see her as he glanced at the woman on the phone again– who was no longer there anymore. He blinked.

The telephone was lying atop the counter waiting for the next person to use its services. And since there seemed to be no one who would want to use it after the woman, he decided he could use the chance to contact London and speak to his beloved.

At the thought, he quickly stood from his seat and took a fleeting glance at the fitting rooms. He hoped Lucille wouldn't be finishing any sooner. He approached the counter where the telephone laid.

"May I use the telephone?"

He asked the clerk sitting some distance from him who was reading a newspaper. The old man smiled at him before resuming to his reading material.

"You may, sir. Just don't take too long."

"Thank you and I won't abuse it."

Allen then grinned upon dialing the numbers in a hurried pace. He pressed the handset to his ear and waited for someone to pick up from the next line.

A couple of rings, and a familiar voice finally answered him.

"_Good afternoon, this is Komui Lee speaking."_

"Komui-san, it's me Allen."

A pause. _"Ah! General Walker! We've been waiting for your call! How's your mission doing?"_

"I'm doing well…"

Meanwhile at London, Komui placed a file he had been scheming to a pile of files Reever head been arranging inside the ever messy office of the supervisor. Reever only sighed and shook his head as he took the file a bit roughly and went to arrange another pile form the right. Komui arranged his glasses and returned to his current conversation on the phone.

"About the akumas , General –

"Our enemy's a woman Komui-san."

Silence…

Komui leaned on the desk. "Dr. Shandez already told me."

"…"

Allen glanced at either side from the counter as if checking if there was someone who may hear.

"Do you know something about the _woman_, Komui-san?"

"Unfortunately, I have no idea." Komui sighed. "I have searched every piece of information that may give us a hint of who that woman was, but I found nothing."

"Dr. Shandez can't find anything too…"

"I'm afraid we have to rely on you for the information, General. No pressure or anything but I hope you can gather the info as soon as possible."

"Don't worry Komui-san. I'm planning to do it by myself anyway. Please just wait."

The General suddenly remembered the real reason for his call.

"Is Lenalee there?"

A pause. "I'm sorry Allen, but she's resting right now."

"…"

Komui chuckled when he sensed the doubt from the silence in the opposite line. He smiled upon remembering his sister.

"I'm telling the truth General. She and Miranda had just finished baking a cake and it tired her out so she went to her room to rest."

"A cake huh?" _'I wish I could have a taste of that…'_

"Yes! It's a chocolate cake made with love! It's so delicious!"

"Err…when can I speak to her then?"

"…Honestly, I don't know Allen. She's frequently taking naps these days. After all, her labor's near already so she needed all the rest and strength that she could have."

Allen sighed from his line but let a small but sad smile remain on his lips. He forgot that Lenalee will be delivering their child soon and since she's in a very fragile condition now, he shouldn't disturb her in her naps. After all, the life of their child also depended on Lenalee.

"Then I have nothing to say Komui-san. Please just tell her not to tire herself too much and to take care of herself."

Komui knew that Allen was waiting for his farewell after he said that statement, but he was thinking of something else. It was obvious that the white-haired exorcist had wanted to talk to Lenalee and the disappointment from his voice was very certain. So he sighed from his line and leaned on his chair.

"I'll tell her to call you when she awakes."

"…Excuse me?"

"I said I'll let her call you so please leave your number at the S.A. Branch. She'll probably call by night time there."

Allen can't believe what he's hearing but there's no time to test if it's true or not. He grinned widely from his line, not noticing the strange look the old man at the counter had been throwing at him.

"I'll wait for her call. Thank you Komui-san!"

"Hmph. That's gonna happen only once General. It will never repeat so you better say all you want to say to her in that call. And don't you thank me! I'm only doing this because my Lenalee had been missing you terribly. Don't think I already approved of you Allen Walker!"

The General sweatdropped at Komui's remark.

"I know Komui-san. Still, I thank you for your generosity. Until next time, goodbye."

"Goodbye General, and please contact me soon if you found out some new info."

"I sure will."

"That's all then. Good luck Allen."

Allen returned the phone when the other line hanged up and thanked the old man again at the counter. The old man smiled at him.

"You seemed happy sir."

The exorcist smiled back. "My fiancée will call me later, so I'm excited."

"Your fiancée?" The older man blinked. "Excuse me for my intrusion, but if you have a fiancée, then who was the girl you were with?"

"Oh her?" Allen sighed. "She's just an acquaintance. Truthfully, I'm just forced to accompany her."

"Oh."

Speak of the devil, Lucille suddenly appeared at the corner holding the shopping bags Allen left at the couches. She had a big frown on her lips.

"I was looking for you Allen-kun! Why aren't you waiting for me at the fitting rooms?"

"I'm sorry." The male took the shopping bags. "I just have to call the supervisor at the Main H.Q."

He glanced at the female officer. "You're not buying anything?"

"No." Lucille pulled him to the exit. "The dresses here are horrible. Let's just go to the shop next door."

The old man gawked at her blunt statement and managed to whisper something to Allen when they passed him.

"Definitely not your girlfriend. You should stay away from her."

Allen only managed a nervous smile and a low "sorry" to him before he was completely dragged out of the shop. Lucille muttered something but he didn't pay attention. His mind was already filled with the images of Lenalee, and his heart pounding at the excitement of hearing her voice later that night.

-/-/-

-/-/-

Shandez massaged her temples as she glanced at the stacks of files on her desks and the multiple tabs in her desktop. How long was she inside her office again? She looked at the digital clock inside in her computer's desktop and sighed when it indicated she was researching for almost 5 hours already. She mindlessly grabbed her thermos at her right and immediately took a sip – that was, if the vegetable soup was still there.

She shook her head when she remembered she already consumed all of the soup some 3 hours ago and had never eaten anything else since then. She released a frustrated moan and stood up, the thermos in hand. She should probably take a break now, especially when she's researching something very important.

Upon leaving her office however, she was greeted by a hurried Gerald who was holding a small-sized folder in his hand. She quirked an eyebrow and decided to follow him instead. The hurried look on his face was usually present when Lucille had ordered him to do something in secret and whatever that was, she felt the need to know. Add the fact that the bitchy female partner of Gerald's was currently enamored with General Walker – which meant that Lucille was possibly planning something that involved Allen.

She took quiet steps after Gerald's trail and soon arrived at the foreign affairs section of the branch. She hid behind a wall but leaned enough to hear what the male officer was saying.

"Please deliver this to the Main Headquarters."

"What type of service sir?"

"The fastest please. How long will it take by the way?"

"About two hours sir, it depends on the circumstances."

Shandez narrowed her eyes as the conversation continued. After a minute or so, Gerald finally left the section. She ducked from her position and was fortunately missed by the male. She waited for him to fully disappear from her sight before she revealed herself and approached the woman in charge at the delivery booth.

"May I see those?"

The woman looked at her with surprise as she held the mysterious brown folder in her hands.

"S-Supervisor!...umm, but it's against the rules to let others see the deliveries –

"Just let me see it. It's a life or death situation."

"B-But…"

"I'm the supervisor so obey me, miss. Don't worry, you won't get fired from this."

The younger woman hesitated for a moment before she finally gave the folder to the already anxious supervisor. Shandez smiled at her upon receiving the folder and quickly opened it to see its contents.

Half a dozen pictures of Allen Walker and Lucile Bashkir greeted her. All of them contained the two together, with Lucille holding Allen's arm and resting her head on his shoulder. All were in different angles. She raised an eyebrow at that. What did the two officers plan to do with the photos?

Then she flipped the folder. She widened her eyes when she saw the receiver's name written in bold letters…

_To Miss Lenalee Lee_

She stared at it for a moment before she finally understood the situation. She gritted her teeth at the realization that Lucille Bashkir was surely planning to tear Allen and Lenalee apart. And by the looks of the pictures, there's a high chance Lenalee might accuse Allen of cheating.

The woman at the booth suddenly backed away in fright when anger surfaced on the supervisor's face. Shandez curled her fist. _'I can't believe that bitch has the guts to go as far as to destroy a relationship in order to get what she wants! She really might well be the devil's mistress!'_

She calmed herself down before turning to the woman inside the booth. The woman glanced at the folder.

"W-What shall I do with the delivery supervisor?"

Shandez thought for a moment. _'It will be too suspicious if I cancel the delivery…'_ She looked at the woman.

"Continue with the delivery."

"Yes ma'am."

"But give me a paper and a pen first. I'll just add something in this."

At London, Komui was busy reading through files when the phone beside him rang. He placed down the pen he's holding and grabbed the handset.

"Good day, This is Komu-

"_Komui."_

The Chinese raised his brows. "You actually called! Did you find something about the woman?"

"_No Komui I haven't. I…called on a different purpose."_

"And what is that?"

"_If something happened there, tell your sister not to panic and call the number written in the note."_

Komui narrowed his eyes at the mention of his sister. "What do you mean?"

"_It's just a precaution Komui. Just tell her if something's up. But if there's nothing going on, ignore what I said. I don't want to worry her in her condition."_

"I don't understand –

"_Just remember it Komui. Don't worry too much. That's all, goodbye."_

"Wait! What –

Tut. Tut. Tut.

Komui sighed and returned the phone. Usually, he would ignore such a hazy conversation, especially if it was Shandez who he had spoken with. But their conversation involved his sister and it made him worried. Was there something supposed to happen to Lenalee? And what was that about a "number written in a note"?

"Speaking with _her_ again, Komui?"

The Chinese looked at his door and saw Lavi, Miranda, and his sister entering his office. His face lit up at the sight of Lenalee.

"My Lenalee! Did you have a good nap?"

The Chinese girl smiled as she caressed her big belly. "Yes brother. I feel alright now."

"Anyway," Lavi suddenly interrupted as he neared the supervisor and playfully poked a finger on his chest.

"It seemed that you're having fun, supervisor. You know, you could have told us sooner. There's nothing wrong in letting us know…"

Komui raised an eyebrow and swatted Lavi's finger. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Aww, being shy now are we? Fufu, it's ok Komui! Actually, I'm a bit surprised but it's a relief! I thought before that you were gay!"

"What? I'm not gay!" The Chinese looked at Lenalee and Miranda for an explanation. Miranda nervously spoke out.

"Umm…we already know about Dr. Shandez supervisor…"

A pause. "And?"

Lenalee decided to continue. "We know that she's your girlfriend."

. . .

"Eh?" Komui jumped from his seat. "She's NOT my girlfriend!"

Lavi chuckled cheekily while Miranda blushed and Lenalee quirked an eyebrow.

"Reever told us brother. No need to deny."

"What?" komui turned to the stacks of files at the corner. "REEVER!"

Said person was silently and tiredly arranging the 45th pile that day so he had no idea what was happening at the office. He breathed in relief when he placed the final file on top of the arranged ones.

"Finally, I'm fini –

"REEVER! YOU TRAITOR!"

There was a crash and Reever soon found himself being strangled by none other by Komui. He was about to ask what he did wrong when he caught sight of the arranged files… - which now turned into a hellish mess.

"NO! THE FILES I WORKED SO HARD TO ARRANGE!"

"Never mind that Reever! Now tell me, WHAY ARE YOU SPREADING RUMORS ABOUT ME AND SHANDEZ?"

Reever took a moment to digest what the Chinese said .

"What are you –

"YOU TOLD THEM THAT SHE'S MY GIRLFRIEND! NOW, MY LENALEE IS JEALOUS!"

Lenalee sighed. "I'm not jealous, onni-san. I'm just disappointed that you fail to share something important like your love life."

"BUT SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

The Australian, who was near to passing out after being strangled and seeing the now messy files, only managed a weak response.

"Didn't you and Shandez liked each other during those two years of training?"

Silence…

Komui released Reever at his statement and arranged his glasses as memories unintentionally played in his mind. He sighed.

"That's right. We both liked each other, but that's all. We didn't have a relationship."

"So you're only friends?" Lavi muttered in disappointment.

"Yes." Komui turned to his sister. "So don't be jealous Lenalee!"

Lenalee sweatdropped. "I said I'm not jealous. Anyway, did Allen-kun call brother?"

At the mention of the name, Komui remembered what he had promised to the General and quickly went to his desk and took a small paper. He gave it to Lenalee.

"He did call, but you were sleeping that time. I told him you can call him this night. Here's his number."

Lenalee slowly took the paper and stared at the numbers indicated there. She smiled then approached her brother to carefully wrap her arms around him in an embrace.

"Thank you onii-san!"

Komui hugged her back. "Yes, yes. But you can only call him this once ok? He's in a mission after all."

"I understand. I'll definitely call him tonight!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Let's hurry Allen-kun! I want to have dinner already!"

Lucille dragged Allen by the arm while he only obliged in fatigue._ 'Finally!'_ he thought as he momentarily dreamed of the food waiting for him at the S. A. Branch. He had only managed a small hamburger that noon so he was desperate for food right now. As he was busy dreaming though, he didn't notice a girl who was about to cross the street.

"Ah!"

He bumped the girl squarely on the side. She was already on her butt when he pulled away from Lucille and hurriedly approached the girl.

"I'm sorry! I was not paying attention on my surroundings!"

The girl tucked her blonde hair to her ear as her blue eyes glanced at him. She blew the gum she had been chewing then waited it to pop.

POP!

Allen blinked in surprise as the girl threw the now tasteless gum on the ground.

"It's ok big brother. I'm not actually hurt."

Allen held his hand to help her stand, to which the girl gladly accepted as she stood.

"I'm really sorry." He glanced at her clothes. "Your dress is dirty already."

The girl grinned. "No worries. I don't like wearing this stuff anyway."

"Allen-kun." Lucille interrupted. "It's getting late."

"You should be on your way now big brother. Thank you for your help."

Allen stared at the girl again then sighed. He let go of her hand. "I'm sorry again. Please be careful."

"Right. You too big brother."

Lucille rolled her eyes. "Stupid girl."

She grabbed Allen's arm again and pulled him out of the streets. The girl watched them for a moment until she reached on her pocket and popped another gum in her mouth.

"Bitch."

"Diana-sama, we need to go to the theater now."

Diana glanced at the white cat that was formerly on top of the lamppost the whole time.

"Can I change Aria? My dress is dirty."

"No can do miss. You can't enter the theater if you're not wearing something formal."

"Bummer!"

She pouted then started walking down the next block where most of the casinos and bars were located. She sighed upon reaching her destination. The guards at the entrance bowed to her as she entered the vicinity.

"You finally arrived."

A man in the 20's with spiky red hair, brown eyes and wearing a tuxedo approached her. Diana sighed.

"Hi Xig."

Xig looked at her from head to toe. He raised his brows.

"You're dirty."

"As if I cared about this…_dress_."

"Don't say that. Boss had spent quite a fortune for that."

"Whatever." The girl looked at her sides. "Anyway, where's the lady you're talking about?"

Xig smirked. "She's not here. We have to watch the play to see her."

"What? But I don't like plays!"

"You have to, kid. Besides, Boss will be coming so –

"Mama's coming? Oh geez!"

"Now come on."

Xig grabbed her hand then pulled her inside the theater, through the staircase and into the upper balcony where the nobles sat. They took their seats before the theater darkened to signal the start of the play.

Diana frowned. "What's this play about anyway?"

"It's an adaption of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night."

"Shake – what?"

"William Shakespeare Miss Diana. He's a well known English poet and writer long ago."

"Shut up Aria."

Xig sighed. "Whatever…wait, that's her."

The two stared at the beautiful woman with long black hair and dark blue eyes who was at the center of the stage. Diana widened her eyes at the woman.

"Wow! So pretty!"

"She's Heloise Rutherford, one of the most popular stage actresses. She's playing out Viola in this play."

"You're saying she's the _one_?"

"No other."

Diana smirked, her blue eyes flashing.

"Nice meeting you, _Lust."_

**Meanwhile…**

Allen let himself fall into the couch in his room as he massaged his neck. It had been a very tiring day for him and he wanted to rest as soon as possible, but he still hadn't eaten so he can't sleep yet. Besides, he was waiting for Lenalee's call.

RIINNGG.

He thought it was the phone ringing, but the gadget was not vibrating as it should so when he waited for the next ring, he recognized it instead as the signal from the cafeteria indicating that the meal's ready. He grinned and quickly stood from the couch. He will finally be able to eat. He just hoped that Lenalee won't be calling during that time.

But when he left his room, the telephone inside suddenly started ringing. And as if fate wanted to play with him, Lucille had passed his room and managed to hear the ring coming from the telephone. She stood for a moment in front of the room before twisting the door knob. It was open.

She approached the still ringing phone and took the handset.

"Hello?"

"_Good evening. Is Allen-kun there?"_

Lucille hitched her breath. It was the voice of a woman. And she was calling the General as "Allen-kun"!

"And who may you be?"

"_Please tell him that it's Lenalee."_

The Officer's eyes widened. After a moment, she smirked and began playing with her hair.

"Mou, sorry Le-na-lee! _Allen-kun_ is currently busy here with me so please hang up now."

"…_! What? But he – _

"He doesn't have time ok? Good night."

And she hanged up.

Lucille giggled in amusement as she glared at the telephone. She turned around and walked out of the room, a smirk still on her lips.

"Too bad Lenalee." _'But Allen-kun's soo mine!"_

_

* * *

_

AN: oh my god! I'm so sorry it took so long! –cries- School's so hectic these past weeks since it's midterms and stuff! Also, I don't have much inspiration beacuse there's no D. Gray-Man manga for two weeks! Can you imagine that? No new Allen action for two weeks!

Anyway, I noticed that some of you disliked Lucille already! Honestly, I hate her too! XD And about the OC's, sorry to tell you but there will be more coming. But don't worry! They won't be taking over. It's just that the plot won't be possible without them so please bear with them for a while more. The ending's very near anyway!

I just noticed that the word count kept increasing in each chapter. Is that ok with you? if you're bothered, please tell me!

Oh, and 77 reviews? I'm flattered guys. I don't deserve you! –blushes-

Love you guys! Please review! ;)


	11. The Misunderstanding

Standard disclaimer applied…

* * *

'_What…was that?'_

Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut.

It was already half a minute since she made the call yet Lenalee was still holding the phone to her ear as if waiting for another person to answer. She's waiting for someone to talk from the other line. Anyone besides that female voice.

"_Mou, sorry Le-na-lee! Allen-kun is currently busy here with me so please hang up now."_

Her hand holding the phone slowly lowered down to her lap as the voice of the mysterious female kept ringing in her head. She could just dismiss it as someone who was concerned enough to inform her that Allen was not available at the moment, but _she_ had said that Allen was currently busy with _her_ with a mocking (or was it just her imagination?) voice. She absolutely can't ignore it. Who was that woman?

'_Calm down Lenalee.' _

She took a deep breath as her grip on the telephone loosened a bit. She glanced at her surroundings and sighed when she saw no one there and didn't hear any suspicious sounds, which meant Reever was doing a good job in restraining her brother from eavesdropping. She can confront the situation without making the others worry.

But she can't calm herself down. Not when different thoughts were entering her mind in a fast rate. Who was that woman? Why was she in Allen's room? Why did she say Allen was busy with her? What was _her_ relationship with her fiancé? Her heart was beating so fast she's afraid she might get a heart attack. She didn't like the thoughts in her mind at all.

But what can she do? Her Allen was far away from her while she was there doing nothing but wait for him and their child, so she can't help but be sad and a bit anxious. Then suddenly, when she finally got a chance to talk to him again, a seemingly suspicious woman had cut in and now she's anxious as ever. What if that woman was a…a….a third party? What if _she_ and Allen are….! But Allen loves her!

Her last thought managed to stop her almost endless formulation of possibilities. Of course, how can she forget? Allen did love her. The five years they had spent together was more than enough proof of their love right? Why would he commit such a horrible thing? It was not even plausible. Allen was not the kind of person who would do things behind his friends' backs….especially betraying trust. He was someone you can put your faith on and he had proven that many times. So there's no reason for her to lose belief in him right? Maybe that woman's only playing around, or maybe she's in a bad mood. Whatever _her_ reason was, she's definitely not gonna assume something. She'll only take it seriously if she saw concrete evidence of something Allen might be doing without her knowledge – which she doubted will happen.

With a more calmed composure, she held the phone again tightly as she decided she will call again once more. Allen will surely answer it then he will apologize because some naughty girl had played around with his phone. Yes, that will surely be the scenario as soon as she got to talk to him.

So she reached out to dial the numbers again as a smile was beginning to form on her lips. _'Should I tell him about the chocolate cake we baked earlier?'_ She giggled at the thought. Allen would definitely want to have a taste of the cake.

"I'll tell him to tease him."

She giggled further upon imagining what Allen's face would be like the moment she told him about the cake. Maybe he would pull off that cute pout of his while telling her that he wanted to taste it and then she would ask the reason why he wanted to taste it so much – to which he would answer with a solemn yet serious voice:

"_It's because you're the one who baked it."_

She had to cover her mouth to stop herself from further giggling. Although that scene had happened so many times before, she can't get over it. It was one of those "cute" moments that she loved to think about over and over again.

Deciding that she had enough reminiscing, she continued her way to dial the numbers when suddenly a knock from the door resounded. She stopped again from her movements.

"Lenalee!" the voice of Reever resounded from the other side. "There's a package for you here! Are you done there?"

Lenalee stared at the door as she thought over what Reever had said. _'A package?'_ She glanced at the phone then to the door.

"Lenalee? Is something happening there?"

The question made her panic a bit as she remembered the mysterious woman on the phone. Suddenly, all her fears came rushing through her again and her will to call Allen slowly vanished. What was happening to her? Why was she doubting him so much?

It was too late though. Her heart was beating again in a painful manner and she started to feel suffocated inside the room. She needed to get out of there.

"There's nothing wrong Reever!" she answered back. "I'm finished now! Let me see the package!"

She went straight to her room after receiving the package while trying to get the recent turn of events out of her mind. She'll go to sleep after she saw the contents of the delivery for her. She sat on her bed and stared at the brown envelope with the familiar Black Order wax seal then to the neatly handwritten words on the center:

**To Miss Lenalee Lee**

The way she was addressed was a firm indication that the package was definitely not from Allen. Her curiosity suddenly escalated. Who would send her something aside from her fiancé? She carefully peeled off the wax seal that's keeping the folder closed then reached out inside it. Her hand caught pieces of thick paper where the other side was glossy. She pulled them all at once and quickly laid her eyes on whatever was the content.

She froze.

Her hands grew stiff as her eyes saw Allen, her fiancé, with a red-haired woman clinging unto his arm while resting her head on his shoulder. The woman was indeed beautiful, and Allen was smiling widely. It was the smile that was usually reserved for her…the smile that was supposed to be meant for her.

She began trembling as she quickly scanned the other pictures, her eyes widening in the process. What was the meaning of the pictures? There was only one thought entering her mind and she didn't like it. She didn't like it. There had to be some other reason. It had to be!

"_Mou, sorry Le-na-lee! Allen-kun is currently busy here with me so please hang up now."_

She suddenly stood up with a jolt when she remembered the mysterious voice. Then her eyes remained staring at the woman on the photos. _'Don't tell me…'_

"_Mou, sorry Le-na-lee! Allen-kun is currently busy here with me so please hang up now."_

Her hands lowered. She can't think anymore. She wanted to think otherwise, but a single thought stuck in her mind and she's too shocked and tired to think of other possibilities…because there's only one likely logical explanation for the telephone call and the photos.

"…_Allen-kun is currently busy here with me so please hang up now."_

Tears welled up on her eyes. _'No…'_

"…_Allen-kun is currently busy here with me…"_

"No…"

"…_Allen-kun…"_

_-/-/-_

_-/-/-_

Allen sighed in distress as he stared at the silent telephone lying innocently on his desk. He was sitting at the edge of his bed, back hunched in a lazy manner and eyes narrowed in fatigue with heavy bags below his orbs.

He had stayed up all night waiting for a call from Lenalee. But there was not even a single ring from the telephone. Maybe he had missed it? But that was almost impossible. When he decided to have dinner, he had thought of the possibility that Lenalee might call while he was gone so instead of staying at the cafeteria, he had only placed his orders at the counter and requested for them to just deliver his dinner at his room. Then from then on, all he did was to wait. He never slept the whole night in fear that he might really miss her call, but his telephone remained silent the whole time.

He wondered what had happened that caused Lenalee's failure to call him… maybe she's still resting…or worse, maybe she's sick! He was about to be worried when he remembered what Komui said about Lenalee's condition. The supervisor had told him that she had been taking longer rests frequently so it might be that she had slept all through the night.

He glanced at the wall clock near his desk and sighed when it told him it was already time for breakfast. The bell echoed through the whole place signaling that the meals were ready. His eyes traveled to the phone again as he tried to make a decision. So, should he wait or go?

His desire to eat grew stronger when his stomach gave its call of need. _'I guess I do need to eat now…'_. At that resolve, he stood up from the edge of his bed and stretched out his aching muscles, eyes again fixated on the clock. If he was right, it would still be dark at the Main Headquarters and based from his observations with Lenalee before, she won't be waking up until the first rays of sunlight hit her.

He could grab some sandwiches and hamburgers at the canteen then he can think about what he was supposed to do next.

When he arrived at the cafeteria, he was greeted immediately with Lucille waving her hand to him as if requesting him to sit with her. He wanted to sit somewhere else though, but he remembered the deal he had with the female officer so he complied and sat himself next to her.

"Good morning."

He tried to appear cheery in front of them but the bags under his eyes and the lack of smile contradicted to how he wanted to appear. Gerald, who was sitting across them, had put down his fork and stared at the exorcist.

"Is something the matter General?"

Lucille stared at Allen too and gasped.

"Oh my god! Are you sick Allen-kun?" she leaned to him and quickly placed a hand on his forehead.

"Want me to take care of you?"

"Thanks, but I'm ok." Allen uneasily pulled Lucille's hand from his forehead. "It's just a lack of sleep."

"Lack of sleep?" Gerald raised a brow. "So you stayed up all night? What for?"

The General scratched the back of his head. "Well…I was waiting the whole night for Lenalee's call."

The mention of the name picked Lucille's attention and a small smirk slowly formed on her lips. But she quickly hid it in a second and instead pouted at Allen.

"Oh, how sad for you Allen-kun! You stayed up all night for nothing! How could she?"

Gerald gave a warning glance at his partner but the woman dismissed it. She placed a hand on the General's shoulder then started massaging him there with her fingers.

"You must be pretty disappointed in her, right Allen-kun?"

Allen shook his head while trying to pry off her hand from him.

"I'm not disappointed…rather, I have no right to be. I was always the one who was making her wait so I figured it's time for me to wait for me. A night without sleep couldn't compare to the days she spent without me by her side."

Lucille stopped massaging his shoulder at what he said and carefully retrieved her hand. She turned her gaze to her food.

"Why don't you go order your food Allen-kun? We'll wait for you here."

Allen smiled then nodded. "Ok. Please wait for me."

As soon as the white-haired exorcist left the table, Lucille released a frustrated moan and began biting her bottom lip. Gerald shook his head then leaned on his chair.

"Give up Lucille. He's clearly deeply in love with Ms. Lee. You don't stand a chance."

"Shut up Gerald." She glared at her partner. "I do have a chance, and that Lenalee will give that chance to me."

She stopped biting her lip and instead leaned across the table to her partner. "Have you sent the pictures yet?"

"Yes I already sent them since yesterday. She might have received them last night."

A smirk. "So that's why she never called since that time….Good. She might be in hysterics right now."

Gerald narrowed his eyes. "Wait. What do you mean _since that time_? Don't tell me you're the reason why Ms. Lee hadn't called?"

"Hmph." Lucille brushed some strands of her hair from her shoulder. "So what if I am? I just made it clear to her that Allen-kun's not only hers."

"You're sick Lucille." Gerald suddenly spat at her. He stood up from his position. "You're crazy."

"Call me whatever you want, but I won't stop. I want him so he's going to be mine." She glared at him.

"You should already know that Gerald."

The male gave up and shook his head, muttering a low "I'm outta here" before walking out of the cafeteria. Lucille stuck out a tongue at his back as she rolled her eyes. As if she can be stopped by his sudden actions! He's just a lap dog anyways! She can manage without him.

"Where's Gerald?"

Allen returned holding a large tray with a huge pile of food on top of it. Lucille gaped at the amount while he sweatdropped and took his seat beside her.

"Sorry if you're surprised. I have a…bigger appetite than normal people."

The General started eating while Lucille took her time to recover from her shock. After a few moments of regaining her composure, she cleared her throat and smiled sweetly at him.

"Gerald went to the bathroom while you were ordering. Anyway…" she rested her cheek on her hand.

"About what we were talking about…why don't you call your fiancée Allen-kun?"

"Hmm?" Allen wiped his mouth with a table napkin. "I have bad timing and I usually ended up calling for her when she's resting. That's why she was the one to call now when she's free."

"But Allen-kun…" Lucille leaned to him. "Don't you want to know what happened last night? The reason why she failed to call you?"

"I do, but –

"Then call! There's nothing wrong to know right?"

Lucille was inwardly smirking when she watched the General's eyes shift sides as if making a decision. Allen will definitely call. Then as soon as he talked with his beloved fiancée, he will be surprised to hear Lenalee's angry voice at him. They will break up and she will be there to comfort him. She will stay by his side until his love will switch to her. Wasn't that great?

"Alright. I'll call her as soon as I'm finished eating."

Her lips curved in an almost unseen smirk. "Then I wish you good luck, Allen-kun."

-/-/-

-/-/-

After satisfying his stomach at the cafeteria, he went straight to the telephone booths located near the building's lobby. It was a good thing there was no one there but him. He can relax while speaking to the phone without other people trying to hear his conversation. He dialed the numbers of the Main H.Q. and waited for someone to pick up, all the while wishing that Lenalee will be the one to pick up the phone.

Meanwhile at London, Lavi and Miranda were arranging files inside Komui's office. The redhead took a deep breath after he had placed a tall stack of folders at the side, sweat running down his forehead.

"Geez! So this is what Reever's been through whenever he's forced to clean this mess."

Miranda sweatdropped while dusting off some shelves. "Then you shouldn't have volunteered to clean Komui-san's office if you'll just complain about it."

"I'm just being helpful ok? With Komui and Reever at the Central and the other scientists locked up at the Research lab, there's no one left to clean this….can you even call this office?"

Miranda chuckled at her side while Lavi groaned in frustration. They had been inside the damned office for 2 hours, but it seemed there's not much improvement. God knows how Reever and the others managed to keep the office at least livable.

"Could you tell off your brother sometimes, Lenalee? He should be the one to clean this mess."

"…"

"Lenalee?"

The two stopped what they were doing at the lack of response from their other companion. Lenalee was standing in front of some cabinets, her hand holding a damp wiping cloth. Lavi and Miranda glanced at each other with worry. They temporarily left what they were doing and approached the pregnant woman.

"Lenalee-chan…" there was still no response when Miranda called her. Lavi narrowed his eyes.

"Lenalee." He held her arm and pulled it gently.

The action seemed to take her back to reality as she gasped and jerked her head to her two friends. Lavi and Miranda leaned to her.

"Are you ok? You've been standing there for 5 minutes."

Miranda sighed. "I think you should rest now Lenalee-chan. You're not even supposed to be here."

"I-I'm alright." Lenalee finally remarked with a smile. "I'm just thinking over a few things."

"Oh." Lavi snickered. "It's General Moyashi isn't it?"

The Chinese woman froze at the mention of her fiancé. Suddenly, the images from the photos went back to her mind in a fast rate. Miranda noticed her sudden change of expressions and became more worried.

"A-Are you really ok Lenalee-chan?"

The two assisted her to the office chair that was moved to the side.

"Don't worry. I'm really fine." Lenalee smiled up to the both of them but the two seemed unconvinced.

"Really? You –

RRIINNGG!

"Wait."

Their conversation was put to a halt when the phone at the desk started ringing. Lavi left the two women for a moment and approached the desk. He reached out and took the handset.

"Err…the supervisor's not available at the moment so –

"…_Lavi?" _

"…" The redhead thought for a second until he recognized the voice.

"Allen?"

Allen can't help but smile when he heard the voice of his red-haired friend from the other side of the line. It had been so long since he last heard his voice.

"Wow. This is the first time I heard you since I left…" he muttered. A laugh was heard from the other side.

"Yeah. It feels kinda weird….hearing your voice suddenly after almost 6 months."

"You're right."

"Anyway, why did you call?"

Allen paused at the question. He cleared his throat and leaned on the handset.

"Is Lenalee there?"

"Lenalee?"

Lavi glanced at the mentioned female a few meters from him. He considered saying that Lenalee's resting but it might be that the woman would want to talk to the General. After all, they only had a few chances to talk to each other. With that, he turned to the phone.

"She's here. Wait for a moment."

He placed the phone on top of a book and went to the two females. He grinned at Lenalee.

"Your lover boy's on the line right now Lenalee! He's waiting for you!"

The pregnant woman froze yet again. So Allen's on the phone huh? She wanted to run away then, but the situation had to be resolved as soon as possible. She had to know the identity of the woman in the pictures and her relationship with him. She needed to find out!

She nodded at Lavi and carefully stood from the chair, unconsciously caressing her swollen belly as if gathering support from the life inside there. Lavi offered to help her go to the desk but she declined and told them to just wait there. She took steady footsteps towards the desk and took the handset on top of a book. She pressed it on her ear.

"Allen-kun."

Allen didn't know how much happy he was when the voice of his pregnant fiancée resounded to his ears. He grinned from his position.

"Lenalee! I'm so happy to hear you!"

It was obvious that the male was really happy from his tone. But Lenalee wasn't as happy as him. Her brows were narrowed in seriousness and prepared to ask him the question that's been lingering in her head.

"_I thought you – _

"Allen-kun, I…I want to ask you something…"

"…"

The General recognized her serious tone. He suddenly became worried. Was something bothering her?

"What is it?"

Lenalee gulped and unconsciously closed her eyes.

"Allen-kun…" her hands began trembling.

"Are you with a girl there?"

Silence…

Allen raised his brows in surprised. Where did that come from?

"Lenalee,I don't understand –

"Please, just answer."

"…I…"

He took a moment to think about their current conversation. She was asking if he was with a girl there. Technically speaking, yes. The only girl he was with was Lucille Bashkir, even if he would try to say otherwise. Did that mean that Lenalee knew about Lucille?

"_Allen-kun!" _

Lenalee's voice already sounded impatient so he decided to finally answer her.

"Yes."

Silence.

Suddenly, Lenalee's surroundings darkened. _'What…?'_ There was a follow-up statement from him but she can't hear them anymore, as if his voice slowly vanished and all she can hear was his straight and simple "Yes."

'_He said yes…'_

"…she's an officer from the Central Office who was…"

She can't believe it. Allen said yes…which meant only one thing. The pictures and the woman on the phone call….that damned woman who said that Allen's busy with her….that woman and her fiancé…

Suddenly, she can't stop herself anymore, tears flowed from her eyes and her hand on top of her belly curled into a tight fist. Her eyes widened in anger.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Lavi and Miranda gasped at her sudden outburst. Allen's reaction was also the same. He gulped as sweat began forming in his temples.

"Lenalee, -

"How could you Allen-kun?"

"I don't -

"Shut up!"

Allen began panicking. Why was she suddenly angry? He was about to say something when he heard sobs from the other line. _'She's crying…'_ Oh god, Lenalee's crying! He's really confused now. Why was she angry with him?

"Is it because my belly's big now?" Lenalee spat from her line. "After having sex with me you grew tired and didn't want me anymore?"

The General ran a hand through his white hair with eyes wide with deep confusion. A myriad of emotions was running through him at the same time. Puzzlement…frustration…distress… and many more that he can't place at the moment. But that's not important. What's more important was the sudden turn of their conversation. He needed to know the reason behind Lenalee's anger.

"Lenalee…" he whispered gently. "Please tell me…I don't understand…"

"There's nothing more to explain Allen-kun."

Lenalee was crying almost hysterically from where she was. How can he not understand? After what he did, he can't understand why she was crying and yelling at him? Did he think she was stupid to forgive him right away?

She shook her head as if she had given up. She didn't want to hear whatever he wanted to say. The photos and his confirmation was enough. He needed not to explain. She's already tired to hear him anymore.

"Lenalee…"

"You admitted it Allen-kun….It's enough. I don't want to hear anymore."

"I…admitted what?...Lenalee –

"You said yes dammit! You admitted you're having an affair with another woman!"

It was then that Allen slightly understood. He finally got what she wanted to know, and he was foolish not to know the nature of her question that time. _'Shit! What have you done Allen?'_ He gritted his teeth as frustration took the best of him. There were still a lot of questions in his head, like her basis for what she thought he had committed. But that would be for later. Right now, he needed to calm Lenalee down.

"Lenalee, please listen to me –

"I don't want to hear it Allen-kun."

"Please let me explain –

"The photos of you and your woman are enough explanation… Please don't say anymore…"

What she said had frozen him. Photos? What photos? There wasn't a single time when….suddenly he remembered. He recalled the first time he accompanied Lucille through the city. Those times when she was stubbornly clinging to his arm, the moments when that woman was acting as if she and him had a relationship.

He cursed further when a realization hit him in a painful bang. Someone who knew him must had saw him and misunderstood then took pictures of him and Lucille together. Then without asking for an explanation, that person must had sent those photos to Lenalee!

'_Damn. Damn it all!'_

"Lenalee," he whispered with a pleading voice. "I'm begging you…"

"…I guess…this is goodbye?"

"No!" he yelled in urgency. "No! Don't say that! It's not what you think! I –

"Don't call me anymore Allen-kun."

"No! Please, you're the only one Lenalee! You know that! You're the only one I love –

"Goodbye…"

"Wait! No! Lenalee –

CLICK.

Lenalee collapsed to the ground in a sitting position. She was no longer crying hysterically but tears continuously flowed from her eyes. Lavi and Miranda ran to her, both very confused and worried.

"Lenalee! What was that about?"

"Lenalee-chan! Please tell us what happened! Why are you angry with Allen-kun?"

The voices of her friends seemed so far away from her and slowly her vision blurred. She can't take it anymore. Her chest was aching so much and her mind seemed to stop thinking. She's more tired than she thought.

"Lenalee?..."

The two panicked when the Chinese woman closed her eyes and her body became limp.

"Lenalee! Oi! Lenalee!"

"Lenalee-chan!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

Allen punched the wall in front of him as he let the handset fall from his hand. He ignored the pain from his knuckles and the drops of blood spilling to the floor.

"Damn!"

"General! What's happening?"

Shandez rushed to the young man upon seeing his form and hearing his angry curse. Forgetting the meeting she was supposed to attend to, she went to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"General Walker! Are you alright? Did something happen?"

The exorcist didn't respond to her questions for a few moments until he slowly stood from his position, withdrawing his fist from the wall and leaving a red mark on it. His eyes were void.

"Lenalee…"

Shandez blinked at the name that escaped from the younger person's lips as she let him leave the place. She stooped down and took the hanging handset, placing it on the phone's body. She could only think of one explanation for the General's distress.

Yet she can't understand. She had left a note inside the package. Lenalee should had noticed it and called her first. But that was not what she should be focusing on. She had to do something about the current situation, before it's too late.

* * *

**AN:** I wasn't supposed to end this chap like this…but if I continued with what I originally planned, this chap would be as long as 10,000 words. A friend of mine also advised me to keep a consistent length for every chapter and since she's an official writer at her school, I decided to follow her advice and cut the original to half…

Anyway, once again I'm apologizing for the long time it took for me to update. I was busy reviewing for my finals and won't risk doing something else. But now that I'm on a 1 week break, I can finally focus on this fic!

And more and more people hated Lucille now! That's good because I made her to be hated! XD I was also worried with the drama here. Did I overdo it? Or was it not enough? I mean, I even interviewed a person with the same experience and had applied what she had relayed to me…but I don't know if I did a good job…but hey, at least I updated right? XD

Until next chap guys! Please review!


	12. The Affirmation

Standard Disclaimer Applied.

* * *

The once bright atmosphere at the South American Branch suddenly changed into a tense and gloomy one with no one knowing the reason behind it. The only thing the scientists and the other staff knew was that the sudden change of atmosphere started in the dormitories, at a certain isolated room at the end of the hallways.

"That's General Walker's room right?"

"Yeah. Heck, he's been there for hours. I wonder what happened…"

"I don't care what happened. He should solve it fast…I mean, I can't even sleep in my own room anymore! The gloom and the intensity are just too much!"

"You're right…and the atmosphere's kind of depressing too…"

There were many speculations circling around the reason behind the General's change in behavior. Some say it was the pressure from his mission, some say it was only because he missed his friends at the Main Headquarters, some guessed correctly and said that it was because Lenalee Lee broke up with him so suddenly. But before the rumors can even start spreading, the Supervisor had warned them not to say anything anymore regarding the matter, with the blackmail of forcing them to drink her special organic juice.

"General Walker, may I come in?"

Shandez had enough of the gloomy atmosphere around the Branch so she finally walked up to the young General's room. She can understand why he was so depressed at the moment, but nothing will be solved with him locking himself in his room.

"General Walker?"

A couple of minutes passed before movements were heard inside the room and soon, the sound of twisting doorknob picked the doctor's ears. She gasped slightly when the white-haired exorcist invaded her line of sight.

Allen was wearing a poorly arranged sweater with a black shirt underneath and a pair of gray cargo pants. His hair was ruffled as if it was not combed in ages and bags were still under his eyes. His silver orbs and brows were narrowed in a fatigued manner with a noticeably black and depressing aura around him.

"Doctor….what can I do for you?"

_'Even his voice was weak…'_ Shandez noticed as she cleared her throat and took a quick glance at his room.

"First, will you let me in? You don't want us to talk here at your doorstep now, do you?"

Allen seemed to hesitate for a second then finally nodded. He stepped to the side to give the doctor some space.

"Please come in."

The room was still neat upon Shandez's observation. The only thing that seemed to be in a mess was the bed near the window and the desk that was full of plates and food scrapings. Allen offered her a seat with a chair but she declined.

"I won't be staying long. I just want to know what happened there at the lobby, general."

Allen sighed as he sat on the edge of his bed.

"It's…it's Lenalee."

Shandez narrowed her eyes. "Did something happen with her?"

The male started gritting his teeth. "She thought I was having an affair with another woman."

"An affair?"

"Yes. She said she saw some pictures with me and a woman. But I don't know where those pictures came from! I tried to explain but she won't listen! And now she didn't want to talk to me anymore!"

Shandez nodded. She was right. It really was the pictures that Gerald had sent because Lucille told him to do so. A thought suddenly came over her mind. Should she tell Allen about it? Should she tell him that it was all Lucille's plan? She might as well just tell him. But as she analyzed it further, she realized that telling him won't do much good after all. Allen will surely try to talk to his fiancée again, and will tell that it was Lucille's fault. But will Lenalee listen? She will definitely think that Allen's just making some excuses. The best way to end the fuss was to fix it from Lenalee's perspective. Lenalee should be the one to realize that it was all just a bitch's manipulation.

'_I'm sorry Allen.'_ She inwardly said as she stared at the despaired male. _'I can't tell you yet.'_

"I understand what you're going through General. But I want to remind you that you still have a mission to complete, and we need that information about the mystery woman as soon as possible."

Allen didn't answer for a moment until he sighed and ran a hand through his white hair.

"You're right doctor. The mission's more important right now."

"Yes." The doctor smiled at him. "Don't worry too much. I know it's hard to focus, but please do it for the sake of the world. And while you're at it, I'll do my best to help you with Lenalee."

Allen looked up to her in surprise. Shandez chuckled.

"I'm serious General. You've become like a younger brother to me so I'll help you with your fiancée. That is, if it's alright for me to do so."

"I appreciate your offer doctor." Allen said as he gave her a small smile. "I don't know how you'll do it, but if you can convince her to listen to me, that would be enough."

"Then it's settled." The female remarked as she released a deep breath. She smiled more. "Let's do our best General!"

Thirty minutes after the conversation with Shandez, Allen emerged from his room wearing his exorcist uniform with the aura of gloom gone…at least not as obvious as it was some hours ago. The Branch staff finally heaved a sigh of relief at that since they can finally work or rest without the dreaded atmosphere floating around the Branch's interior, but they still steered away from the General for precaution.

"It's good to finally see you out of your room, General Walker."

Allen was greeted by Mona who just went out of the supervisor's office. Allen managed to give the female secretary a smile as a sign of greeting.

"Is the supervisor inside Mona?"

The secretary sighed and arranged the thick folder she held by her right arm.

"Yes. She's currently drowning herself in research. I don't know what she's trying to find out and I offered some help but she said it's something confidential."

She stared at the male. "In any case, please don't stay too long in there General. She said she doesn't need another disturbance."

"Don't worry, I'll only say a few words to her." Allen replied. Mona nodded then left him there in front of the office.

"Doctor it's me, Allen."

He knocked a few times and waited until he heard Shandez's approval for him to come in. He opened the door then closed it when he was already inside. He was surprised to see Lucille leaning against a wall and checking her nails. The female officer's face lit up at his arrival but he ignored her and placed all his attention at the supervisor sitting in front of the computer.

"Doctor Shandez, I'll be off now."

Shandez's face popped out from the computer's side as she gave him a smile.

"Have you eaten lunch already?"

"Yes. I did nothing but eat inside my room after all."

"Ok then. Please be careful."

"Wait!"

Lucille suddenly cut in when she noticed she was deliberately left out in the conversation. She frowned at them and faced the supervisor.

"Shandez, what's going on here?"

The doctor sighed. "The General's going out to investigate, officer. He can't accompany you to –

"I'm coming with him!"

Shandez raised her brows and stood from her seat while Lucille ran and latched her hands around Allen's arm.

"Officer, you can't –

"Oh shut up Shandez." Lucille glared at the supervisor then looked up to Allen.

"Allen-kun won't mind right?"

There were a few moments of silence as they waited the male's answer. Allen sighed as his eyes narrowed.

"Actually…" he forced his arm out of Lucille's hands. The officer was definitely surprised as her eyes widened. She stepped back. Allen refused to look at her.

"I would appreciate it if you don't come along, officer."

Lucille stared at him in disbelief.

"What…?"

Shandez too was also surprised at how Allen reacted. But as she watched the male's expression go from serious to irritated, and with the way he refused to even face the officer, she slowly understood the reason why he was acting that way. _'After all, the only female who can appear with him in a suspicious-looking picture would be Lucille. Even if he's not sure about it, Allen would definitely be annoyed with her because of that.'_

Allen faced the doctor. "I'll be going now."

He turned around and approached the door. He gripped the doorknob and was about to twist it open when light laughter suddenly resounded around the room. Allen stopped moving and slowly turned back, eyes narrowing at the laughing officer in the middle of the room.

"What was that Allen-kun?"

Lucille slowly diverted her gaze to the white-haired exorcist at the doorway. She smiled at him.

"You're not thinking of disobeying me are you?" she smirked at him. "Don't tell me you've forgotten our agreement…"

"…"

Allen's eye twitched at the mention of the subject. Shandez started gritting her teeth as she sent an intense glare at Lucille's back. _'Damn you!'_

Lucille crossed her arms. "Come on now. You don't want the whole world panicking now do you? We had a deal and I believe you're not the type to back out."

She brushed some strands of her red hair to her back. "Do I have to remind you, Allen-kun?"

Silence…

"Tch."

Allen sighed and turned around again. He twisted the doorknob and opened it for his exit, but stopped before he can go outside.

"Fine. But please, let me do my job. I can't waste any more time."

At his reply, Lucille giggled in glee and skipped towards him. Allen nodded at the other female inside the room as he and the officer went outside the office. When the room's quiet once again, Shandez released a breath she had been holding and let herself fall to her office chair. She stared at the telephone lying beside the computer.

"You better call soon Lenalee. I'm about to go crazy here."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Mou, Allen-kun let's rest for awhile."

"…"

"Don't be rude to a lady! I want to rest…"

"…"

"Come on Allen-kun! My feet hurt!"

"…"

"Gosh. We've been walking since this morning for goodness sake! Isn't it time we rest?"

"(sigh) Alright."

Allen's brow twitched as he stopped walking. He wanted to continue investigating but he didn't say anything anymore. It's no use anyway, Lucille will only whine more until he give in so might as well do what she wanted while she was still "decent". Besides, she did have a point. They had been walking around the city since they left the South American Branch and that was at least two and a half hours ago. It would do them no good if they continued feeling tired.

He looked around for a place where they can sit and grinned when he saw a line of benches at a park a few meters away from them. He glanced at his companion.

"Let's sit there Officer."

Lucille groaned and followed the male towards the park. She rolled her eyes at some kids who greeted her on the way. After a painfully slow span of three minutes, they finally arrived at the benches. She slumped at the wooden seat beside Allen and started massaging her lower limbs.

"I don't know how you can endure walking that long, Allen-kun."

Allen shrugged and placed his hands inside his pockets. "I'm used to it."

There was silence as Lucille continued to massage her aching legs. She frowned as she vowed never to go with the General when he's doing his mission. It would be okay for her if something good happened while she was walking with him. But no, nothing good happened. She had tried so many times to bring up the issue of Lenalee accusing him of cheating, but he always managed to close the conversation and returned to searching for an akuma. It was quite unnerving for her. She was ready to comfort him dammit! All her efforts to get Lenalee mad might go to waste if his coldness towards her continued! Then her scenario of her and Allen being a couple might not happen anymore. She can't allow that! She had to do something!

She glanced at the male beside her and was surprised to see him staring at something he was holding in his hand. She stopped massaging her leg for awhile and sat up straight, recognizing the thing he was holding as a silver-chained necklace with a matching silver cross-shaped pendant.

"That's so pretty Allen-kun!" she gushed as she scooted closer to get a closer look at the necklace.

Allen smiled sadly as he adjusted his hand to give her a better view of the accessory.

"Pretty isn't it? This was a gift from Lenalee for my 21st birthday."

She frowned at the mention of the name and returned to her former position. _'I take back what I said.'_

"Why are you still keeping that anyway? Didn't she say she didn't want you calling her anymore? That meant she's breaking up with you!"

The male smiled more. "Why am I keeping this?" he caressed the intricate design of the cross.

"Because this necklace reminded me of the times we spent together. This reminded me that there was someone I need to protect, someone who I can't imagine to live without. This gives me the strength to do my duty so I can return to her one day."

He held the pendant tighter as his eyes narrowed in determination. "And I'm not giving up."

Lucille widened her eyes. "You're not…giving up?"

"Aa. I won't accept her goodbye, not when I'm innocent of what she's accusing me of doing. I won't stop until we're back to how we were. And when she's already fine, I'll punish the bastard who made her go through something terrible."

The female officer suddenly felt nervous as she stared at the General's angry eyes, at how his brows were narrowed in determination. And she knew it, Allen will definitely find a way to convince Lenalee that he's innocent, he will definitely do what he just said. She clenched her fists and looked away as frustration started to build up in her chest. Everything had just gotten harder for her.

"Allen-kun, will you buy me a drink? I'm thirsty."

Allen blinked at her sudden request. "A drink? What kind?"

"Anything cold. Just not those kinds sold by street vendors."

"Ok. Please wait here."

She released a groan when the male was already far from her. She bit her lip and crossed her arms as she leaned on the back rest. What was she going to do now? What can she do to shatter Allen's devotion for Lenalee? She shook her head and gave up thinking. She might as well think of a new plan as soon as they return to the Branch. That way she can force Gerald to make a new move for her.

She looked at her side to find something that can entertain her while waiting for Allen when her eyes caught something sparkling. She averted her gaze down until she saw Allen's exorcist jacket lying beside her. She recalled him taking the heavy coat off since it was too hot. But that was not what she's interested in. It was the silver necklace that was peeking out of the coat's pocket that caught her attention. She stared at it until a rushed idea formed inside her head.

She smirked.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Lavi-kun, look! She's regaining consciousness!"

"Really?"

Lenalee slowly opened her violet eyes as she heard the familiar voices of her friends calling her name. When she finally opened her orbs, she saw the worried faces of Miranda and Lavi peering over her and the familiar grayish ceiling of her room.

"Lavi…Miranda…" she tried to get up. Miranda quickly helped her. "What…What happened?"

"You fainted earlier." Lavi answered as he sat at the edge of the bed. Lenalee looked confused.

"Fainted?...How?"

"You fainted from so much crying."

It took a few seconds before the Chinese girl had recalled the events earlier. She was cleaning her brother's office with Lavi and Miranda, then there was a phone call and…

She hitched her breath when she remembered her conversation with Allen over the phone. She closed her eyes abruptly as her brows narrowed as if she was in pain. Tears started forming on her eyes again.

"Lenalee-chan," Miranda gently whispered as she held the younger female's shoulders. "Please tell us what happened there."

Lavi nodded. "She's right Lenalee. Tell us why you're practically shouting over the phone earlier. Why are you so angry with Allen?"

It took a few moments before Lenalee managed to respond with a slow nod. She unconsciously clutched the cloth on her blanket over her womb and then with a shaking hand, she reached to her side table and took a brown folder at the top of her desk. She paused for a moment as if gathering courage then finally spoke.

"It started last night…"

After a few minutes of explanation…

The room suddenly became silent as Lenalee finished the story and her friends' questions had been answered. Miranda's eyes started to form some tears as she held Lenalee's hand in comfort while Lavi just stared wide eyed at the wall in front of him.

"I'm sorry Lenalee." He eventually remarked while slowly facing her. "But I find it hard to believe… I…"

Miranda nodded. "Me too... Allen-kun wouldn't do that…"

"Lavi…Miranda…" the Chinese woman took a deep breath and pushed the folder she's been holding to the two of them.

"Open the folder. You…You'll find the evidences there."

Lavi took the liberty of taking the folder as Miranda didn't seem up for the job. He quickly noticed the address for Lenalee written in the middle of the brown folder before he held the small flap with his fingers. He paused as if he hesitated but still continued opening the folder. He reached out inside the parchment and took the pictures in one grip.

His and Miranda's eyes widened further as they stared at each photo laid in front of them. Lenalee refused to even glance at the said photos and only waited for what her friends had to say.

"I can't believe this…" Miranda remarked after a gasp. "This is really Allen-kun and a…a woman…"

Lenalee tried to stop her tears from falling. "Now, can you understand? Can you understand why I'm so angry with him?"

Lavi didn't say anything as he stared at the woman who was clinging unto Allen's arm in the picture. That woman…where did he saw her? The face of the woman was awfully familiar for him. But he can't place where he saw her. Then he noticed the uniform she's wearing.

"This woman…" the red head suddenly remarked. "I think I know her."

The two women diverted their attention to him. Lenalee narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean Lavi?"

"Wait for a moment."

Lavi continued to stare at the woman in the photo and tried to find some clues from her clothes so he can identify her. Then suddenly, he remembered. He remembered the time when he and Bookman went to the Central Administration to verify some things, and a certain red-haired and green-eyed woman who tried to flirt with him there.

"This woman is Lucille Bashkir." He stated with a shudder. "She's an officer from the Central Administration."

Lenalee frowned at him and looked away. "So that woman's name was Lucille."

"Yeah." Lavi sighed and took another photo. "She's said to be one of the most beautiful in the Black Order, and many men had tried to propose to her."

"So you're saying that she's more beautiful than me…maybe that's the reason why Allen-kun chose her…"

"I didn't mean it that way Lenalee." Lavi quickly said with a nervous tone. He cleared his throat.

"The point is, Lucille Bashkir was also known to be a spoiled woman. Whenever something or _someone_ picks her interest, she will do anything to get it even if it was against a person's will…at least, that was what the other officers say."

Lenalee felt that Lavi was implying something so she faced him again. This time, she was a little more eager to listen to what he had to say. The red head nodded at her then laid the pictures in front of her and Miranda.

"I assume you were too angry to analyze the photos further Lenalee…because if you did analyze them, you might have noticed some details that were peculiar." He pointed at his white-haired friend in the picture.

"If you look closely, you will notice that Allen wasn't looking at Officer Bashkir in all of the pictures. In fact, he was looking at everything but her."

He waited as the two women scanned the photos again.

"He's right Lenalee-chan!" Miranda remarked. "Allen-kun's really not looking at the woman!"

Lavi grinned. "And another thing is this…" he pointed a particular photo to the two of them.

"Look at how Allen smiled there."

Lenalee hesitated for a moment. But the curiosity of finding something there got the better of her so she eventually took the photo and stared at her fiancé…at the way he smiled.

Her brows quirked upward when she did noticed something. The way his lips curved was definitely different from the usual. His smile there didn't exhibit the cheerfulness he usually had, and it also looked like he was preoccupied. His smile wasn't natural, as if it was…forced.

Before she can speak though, Lavi pointed out another detail to her.

"Last but not the least, Allen did NOT touch the officer in any way in those photos. Sure they definitely had contact but that was only because Lucille was clinging to his arm. Allen's hands were firmly placed at his sides and he didn't seem to have plans for further physical contact."

Lavi's face turned serious.

"If he really was having an affair with Lucille Bashkir, shouldn't he be holding her hand or staring at her like how he was with you Lenalee? He should have been acting affectionate towards her there but he wasn't."

As if she was struck by lightning, Lenalee suddenly froze after hearing what Lavi had said. He did have a point, from the time when he pointed out that Allen was not looking at Lucille until at the current moment. Suddenly, what she thought as reality seemed to be an illusion, as if her eyes were opened to what was really happening. Maybe…maybe it was not what she thought it was.

Lavi sighed as he watched the pregnant woman compare the photos again. Lenalee was sure to get what he wanted to say, but she still wanted more evidence. She wanted to find something that can really tell her that she had gotten everything wrong, that there was a somewhat hidden meaning in the photos. He can understand that. Although he was confident that Allen didn't really commit such an unforgivable thing like two-timing, he had to find concrete evidence that he was right, at least for Lenalee's sake.

But there was nothing else in the photos. He took the folder again and glanced inside as if expecting to see something else in there. That was when he saw a small piece of white paper in the innermost part of the folder. He quirked an eyebrow, took the small paper, and quickly read what was written there. He widened his eyes as a smirk suddenly formed in his lips. That was it. That might be the thing he needed in order to convince his pregnant friend.

"Lenalee." He held the note to her. "Have you seen this?"

The Chinese woman saw the small paper and shook her head to say "No". She gently took it from Lavi's hand and read it while Lavi explained something to Miranda. Her heart skipped a bit at the paper's content.

**The photos are not what it looked like**. **Please dial the number below so I can clarify things to you, Lenalee-chan.**

**Sincerely yours,**

**Dr. Shandez Baker**

Lenalee looked up to her two friends as her grip on the note tightened. Lavi and Miranda nodded at her, as if telling her to go on and do as what the note said. She suddenly became determined and glanced at the small paper once again. She needed to find out the truth once and for all.

-/-/-

-/-/-

Lucille sighed in relief upon walking inside the cozy lobby of the South American Branch. After resting at the park, she and Allen had continued patrolling the inner parts of the city for any sign of an akuma. She tried to convince him that they should return since it was already late afternoon but he continued scanning places until his stomach growled in hunger. It was then when he finally decided to return. She glanced at the windows and just noticed that the sun was already setting, just in time for dinner.

"Good! You two are finally back!"

Allen greeted and smiled at Shandez as she and Gerald approached him and Lucille. He was about to report to the supervisor when his right hand brushed against the pocket in his coat. He suddenly paused. Something wasn't right.

"Is something wrong General Walker?"

He failed to answer Shandez's question as he quickly put his hand inside the pocket and stretched out his fingers inside there as if expecting to get a hold os something there. He gasped when his fingers only met the cloth as sweat began forming on his temples. He then turned to inspect his other pockets.

"Damn!" he cursed as he gritted his teeth. "Where is it?"

Shandez narrowed her eyes. "What happened general?"

Allen was silent for a moment after he stopped inspecting his pockets.

"The necklace…it's gone."

Shandez and Gerald raised their brows at him while Lucille remained silent.

"What necklace?"

"The necklace from Lenalee…" the white-haired exorcist suddenly faced Shandez as if hurried.

"Doctor, I'll be going out for a bit. Please don't wait for me."

"What? Wait General –

Shandez didn't have a chance to stop Allen as he already dashed towards the exit and was gone in a blink of an eye. She diverted her gaze to Lucille to ask an explanation but the female officer ignored her completely. She twitched her eyebrows at the officer's indifference. She bet Lucille had done something again.

"Supervisor! There's a call from the Main H.Q. for you!"

She opened her eyes wide as the words "Main H.Q." reached her ears. She smiled as she suspected it was the call she had been waiting for. She excused herself from the two officers and quickly followed Mona to her office.

As soon as the supervisor left, Gerald grabbed Lucille's arm and dragged her to a corner of the lobby. Lucille groaned and jerked her arm off his grip.

"That hurts Gerald! What the hell is your problem?"

Gerald narrowed his eyes at her.

"You have something to do with the lost necklace, aren't you?"

Lucille rolled her eyes at him. "So what?"

Gerald gritted his teeth. "You're really going overboard Lucille. I can't believe you can still do that without feeling guilty! Where did you hide the necklace?"

"Like hell I'll tell you!" Lucille pushed him to the side.

"I'm going to rest. Don't disturb me."

"Tch." Gerald glared at her back. "I won't even bother."

He didn't wait for Lucille to reply any longer as he left her there and ignored the fierce glares and curses she had been sending towards him. He can't stand her anymore. After a year of letting her do what she wanted, he finally can't take it. He didn't know she was that obsessed to get what she wanted. He didn't know she was that…merciless. Why did he put up with her anyway?

"You're finally speaking your mind, Gerald."

He stopped walking after a few minutes when he heard the remark from the person leaning against the wall just a few meters away from him. He faced the person.

"Dr. Shandez."

Shandez smiled as she approached him, stopping when they're at least 2 feet apart. Gerald sighed and gave a nervous smile.

"I'm pathetic aren't I? I kept on doing what she ordered me to do and never complained. I always say it was my duty to obey since she was given the position of superior officer in our group. But these days, I think it's not right anymore. I don't want to stay as her lapdog."

Shandez nodded at his statement.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Crimson flooded Gerald's cheeks as he suddenly froze at Shandez's quick remark. He tried to think of a witty reply but just looking at the female's intense gaze made him give up. Shandez chuckled at the face he's making and playfully wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"Well, that's the only logical reason why you're still staying with her after all. Duty is only an excuse. You could have complained anyway and request for a team transfer, but you didn't."

Her expression suddenly became serious. "But that doesn't mean you have to tolerate her madness."

Gerald widened his eyes at the supervisor's statement while Shandez let go of her arm around the male's shoulder. She placed her hands inside her lab coat pockets.

"By the way, I knew about the pictures you sent to Lenalee."

Gerald paled. "W-What?"

"And I talked to her just now. I explained everything to her and now she's waiting for Allen to return."

She sighed. "She did nothing but cry while I explain to her. I felt really bad just listening to her sobs. But at least she's very willing to listen to the General now."

"Why are you telling me this?" the male officer narrowed his eyes at her. "Didn't it occur to you that I can tell Lucille and she can think of another plan?"

"Hmph. Any other plans won't work anymore. Besides," the supervisor smiled at him.

"I know you'll do the right thing."

And the supervisor left him there to delve into his thoughts.

He didn't have much sleep that night. All he ever thought was the supervisor's words that kept replaying in his head. Then there was the dilemma of telling Lucille about her plan's failure or not. But after much deliberation, he finally came to a decision. He found out that the General was still outside and didn't even leave a call or a sign on where he was. He felt the guilt building up higher in his chest. The General was probably looking for the necklace all night. If only Lucille told him where she hid the necklace.

After he had a quick breakfast, he immediately went outside to find Allen and tell him that his fiancée was waiting for him. He asked a few people about the white-haired male's location and was soon led to the riverbank.

What he saw shocked him. There, wet with the dirty river's water, was Allen Walker. He was kneeling forward, arms dipped in the water and constantly moving as if finding something. His exorcist coat was placed at the dry grass, maybe to avoid dirtying it so he was left with a now dirty dress shirt with brown and gray smudges. Gerald ran down the grass towards the other male.

"General!" he stopped beside the exorcist coat. "What are you doing there?"

Allen heard him and greeted him with a smile while wiping a sweat from his cheek with his back hand, the action only dirtied his flesh further with the mud from his sleeves.

"Good morning officer." He returned to the water. "I was looking for my necklace."

"Yes but…!" Gerald went nearer to him, his eyes wide. "Didn't you think it's pointless to look for it?"

Allen didn't stop looking. "Even if it's pointless, I'll still keep looking. It might have just been dropped on the roads we walked on yesterday. Since we passed this riverbank, there's a chance it's here."

"So you're saying you've done nothing but search the whole city since last night?"

"Yeah. Do you have a sandwich there? I'm pretty hungry here, haven't eaten since I left."

Gerald didn't answer as he continued to watch the General with widening eyes. Allen Walker, the Destroyer of Time and the fearless exorcist who faced the Millennium Earl head on, had never looked so helpless than before. His fatigue was very obvious from his almost lifeless silver eyes and the sweat that continuously flowed on his temples. Just looking at his form almost made Gerald cry, and it was all because of Lucille.

Remembering his partner made his blood boil. She was the cause of all of this! The poor General didn't even realize that the necklace he had been looking for was hidden by Lucille! It all had to be stopped. And his bitchy partner will do it!

"'Please wait here General!"

He didn't wait for Allen's reply as he dashed out of the riverbank, but he had vaguely heard him request for a sandwich. He didn't stop running until he reached the South American Branch, only taking a deep breath when he spotted the person he's looking for.

"Gerald!" Lucille backed away from him. "Eew! What's that smell? –

"Come with me."

"What? Wait –

He grabbed Lucille's wrist and dragged her through the streets, not stopping even when the woman had started screaming for him to let go. Upon arriving at the riverbank, he finally released her and pointed at Allen.

"That's General Walker!"

Lucille massaged her wrist. "I'm not blind not to recognize him!"

"And do you know why he's there?" he angrily forced her to look at the General.

"He's been looking for the necklace since last night! He went back to all the streets that you two went through! He didn't even stop to eat! He even went in that freaking dirty water just to check if he dropped it there! That's how important that necklace was! But he can't find it anywhere! Why? Because you fucking hid it Lucille! Aren't you feeling at least an ounce of guilt?"

Lucille slowly shook her heads as she watched Allen from where they were. She can't believe it. Why was he practically searching in that dirt? It's just a stupid necklace!

"But…But I didn't know he would go so far…"

"You didn't know?" Gerald laughed mockingly. "You didn't know?"

He took the woman by the shoulders then shouted to her face.

"It's because he loves his fiancée so much, Lucille!"

Lucille froze while Gerald continued.

"That necklace was given to him by the woman he wanted to spend his life with! Even if it's just an accessory, he would do anything to find it because it was a reminder of their love! He will never love another woman Lucille! Because for him, Ms. Lenalee's the only one! He won't look at another! Not even at you!"

Lucille was already shaking as she digested every word that came from Gerald's mouth and slowly, everything crumbled for her. She stared again at Allen the moment Gerald let go of her face. And as painful as it was, she knew that Gerald was right. The desperation on Allen's face was enough for her to see that she can't do anything to make him love her. There was only one woman that his eyes can see, and it's not her.

Slowly, tears flowed from her eyes and she ran down the riverbank, not stopping even if she already went in the water. Allen noticed her and stopped his search, his brows arched up in surprise.

"Officer! Why are you –

"Are you stupid?" Lucille yelled at him as she dug in her pocket and held the silver necklace in fornt of him.

"The necklace's with me! Stop searching in this dirt!"

Allen stared in shock at the hanging necklace from the woman's fist.

"How…where did you find it?"

Tears flowed more from her emerald eyes.

"I hid it Allen-kun. I hid it because I'm jealous…."

"Jealous?..." Allen narrowed his eyes. "I don't understand… -

"I want you! Isn't it obvious?" she lowered her hand that was holding the necklace.

"I wanted you so bad that I did everything to have you! I was the one who sent those pictures to your fiancée so she would break up with you! I even intercepted her call for you that night! I did all those horrible things because I WANT YOU!"

There was nothing after her outburst and the running water from the river was the only thing that kept breaking the silence. Gerald watched his partner cry in pity. She never had been that desperate to make someone love her, and she had never cried in front of anyone while admitting the things she had done. Maybe she really did love the General after all. But sadly, as much as she wanted him, she can never have Allen Walker's love.

It was even more painful for Lucille when there wasn't a single reply from the General. He just stood there, staring at her with the coldest eyes that she had ever seen with his teeth gritting and his fists clenching. She looked away when she realized he was truly angry at her. He was angry and she can't blame him for it.

So when he took the necklace roughly from her hand and ran past her without even a glance, she did nothing and just stood there. She did not dare to look back also. She just waited for him to get out of the riverbank, listened to his movements until he was gone.

"Lucille…"

And when she felt the warm hand of Gerald on her shoulder, she released all her emotions and screamed at the top of her lungs, tears still flowing rapidly from her eyes. She had enough of herself.

She had enough.

-/-/-

-/-/-

Allen ran as fast as he could and ignored the unpleasant faces the people around him had been giving him. He didn't care if they shout or glare at him, as long as he arrived as soon as possible to the South American Branch, he wouldn't care if the whole world hated him. He needed to talk to Lenalee, he needed to clear things to her!

Upon arriving at the Branch, he went straight to the Supervisor's office, not even knocking as he immediately twisted the doorknob and let himself in.

"Doctor! Please let me call the Main H.Q.!"

Shandez was already on the phone and had smiled at him upon his arrival. She mumbled something more on the phone and held it toward him.

"She's on the line, General. She wants to talk to you."

Allen was gasping for air from all the running that he did but he managed to smile wide after hearing what the Supervisor had said.

"R-Really?"

"Yes. I already explained everything to her. All you need to do now is to talk to her."

Allen nodded then went nearer to the woman, reaching out to the phone until he made contact with the contraption. He took it gently from Shandez before smiling at her.

"Thank you very much doctor."

Shandez shook her head and walked towards the door.

"It was nothing General. I'll be leaving you here now. Call me when you're finished."

When the supervisor closed the door upon her exit, Allen took a deep breath and placed the phone on his ear.

"_Allen-kun?"_

He hitched his breath at the sound of her voice calling him. Finally, she wasn't angry with him. He smiled as he whispered at the speaker.

"I'm here Lenalee."

At London, tears had started flowing from Lenalee's eyes the moment she heard her beloved's voice on the other line. She was alone at her brother's office as Lavi and Miranda were outside making sure that no one would disturb her. She closed her eyes as if preventing anymore tears to flow, but it was pointless. She can't stop her tears from flowing because of the emotions that were built up inside her since knowing the truth from Shandez.

"Allen-kun…" she sobbed. "I'm…I'm so sorry…..I didn't know….I…Dr. Shandez explained to me yesterday...she told me everything Allen-kun….about how that female officer forced you to date her because she found out something confidential…."

"…It's okay Lenalee….like you said, you didn't know. You had no idea….I can't blame you about your anger…"

Lenalee shook her head as more tears fell.

"No! You don't understand Allen-kun! I…I lost faith in you! I gave in to my doubts! I did what that officer wanted me to do!...I had hurt you Allen-kun!"

She placed a hand on her mouth to muffle her gasps and sobs from crying. That was what pained her most after learning the true scenario. It was the fact that she had accused him immediately without thinking clearly. She had doubted him and even spoke things that were hurtful. If not for Lavi, Miranda and Dr. Shandez, she wouldn't realize how narrow-minded she had acted during that fateful phone conversation with him a few days ago. She wouldn't fully realize that her fiance's love was only for her, that he had been faithful to her since the beginning.

"Oh Allen-kun, I'm so sorry….I'm really sorry!"

"Shh…it's okay, it's okay. I understand. You don't have to apologize. "

Tears were also flowing from Allen's eyes as he listened to Lenalee's sobs from the other line. It was true that he was hurt from all that she had said during their last phone call. But he was even more hurt now that he can hear her cries from her line. It pained him to hear her cry so much because of what happened. He suddenly had the overwhelming desire to go to where she was, embrace her as tightly as he could just so he could comfort her. But as much as he wanted to do it, he just can't.

"You're not angry Allen-kun?"

"No. I'm not angry. I will never be angry at you, remember that."

She released a breath she's been holding as if she was relieved. But she still needed to hear one thing. She needed to hear it from him so she can finally be at ease.

"Allen-kun…" a slight blush appeared on her cheeks as she leaned more on the phone.

"Please say it. Say it for me."

Allen had understood right away what she wanted to hear. And he didn't need to be told twice. He smiled amidst his tears and pressed his lips on the speaker, hoping it would make it clearer for her to hear. He would say it a thousand times if she wanted, just so he can assure her.

"I love you, Lenalee."

He smiled more when he heard her chuckle in relief from the other line after a few seconds.

"You're the woman I vowed to protect and love Lenalee. There will be no one else. Please remember that… I will never betray you."

She nodded as she wiped her tears with a smile. At last she can finally breathe.

"Yes, yes. I love you too, Allen-kun…and again, I'm sorry."

"I know. I'm sorry too…for making you cry so much."

"Well, it wouldn't be love if there are no tears right?"

"Right…by the way, did Komui-san know?..."

"-chuckle- Don't worry, he and Reever are still at the Central until now. They have no idea what was happening while they're away."

"-sigh- Thank God."

"You know what, I think I've fallen deeper for you Allen-kun…"

"Really? Me too…and I want to kiss you right now…"

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Thank you for your hospitality Dr. Shandez."

The next day, the S. A. Branch was surprised to hear that the two officers had decided to return to the Central that very day. Lucille said it was because the Branch didn't need an additional supervision and that they can manage without officers watching their every move. But Shandez didn't buy it. She can bet it was because the female officer was ashamed to stay any longer, especially when General Walker's there.

"Don't worry, we won't say a thing about you-know-what."

They were at the Branch's gate to send off the two officers. Shandez nodded as she managed to give the two a smile.

"Thank you then. Please be careful on your journey back."

"Yes we will."

They were even more surprised when the known arrogant female officer had bowed to them, specifically to Shandez and Allen who just stared at her with silence. But they both knew it was her way of asking for forgiveness and they won't complain about it. After all, she had never bowed to anyone before and it was obvious that it took a lot of courage for her to do that.

Lucille raised her head after some time but didn't meet their eyes as if she was embarrassed.

"We will be going now. Until next time, Shandez…General Walker."

Gerald had also bowed down to them and bid his farewell. They turned their backs to them and was about to step away when Allen sighed and called out.

"Lucille-san!"

Lucille widened her eyes at the call for her name. She slowly turned her head to the one who called her, to the handsome face of the white-haired general.

Allen gave her a small smile.

"I hope you find your destined person soon."

Lucille froze for a moment then nodded at him and smiled back.

"I will!"

And off they went.

"I'm surprised you didn't slap her or anything, General."

Allen sweatdropped at the Supervisor's remark at him when the two officers can no longer be seen. He shrugged and smiled cheekily.

"Well, I was always the gentleman."

* * *

AN: Whew! Finally finished this chap! It had been difficult for me to finish this since I kept on revising and revising…and revising. I don't know why but I'm always not contented with the scenes here….maybe because I lack experience in real life…XD. Oh, and about the constant-length-for-each-chapter thing? I realized I can't do it. Just look at how long this chap was than the others. This was recorded as 8,000+ words….way long than the 4,000 words per chap that I had decided. I really can't do it. But it was my own fault too because I made this longer on purpose! XD My 1 week break was over and it will be awhile before I can update again so I made this extra long for you!…I hope I had satisfied you readers with this arc closure…

And because I feel like it, I'll be responding to the lovely ones who reviewed last time!

**Moon** **of** **Jupiter** – I'm glad to know that you've been thinking about my fic!

**Jon117** – I'm sorry that Allen didn't hit Lucille like what you wanted! I dunno….it just didn't seem right coming from Allen….but I did consider it... Anyway, I'm happy to hear that you found Lenalee's reaction as realistic! I was really worried about it for awhile….

**RyoMoonFang** – Unfortunately, Lucille didn't die here….XD I'm flattered to know you love this story! You rock too!

**addenza** – Thank you very much! And yes, I passed my finals!

**Ashka-chan** - I hope this chapter has satisfied you in any way….and thank you for your review!

**Kailana Fox – **YOU ARE MY 100TH REVIEWER! Can you believe that? I reached 100 reviews! OH MY GOD!...sorry for rambling. Anyway, I was curious, did Lucille really resemble your grandmother? I dunno why, but it surprises me that there's a real person that resembles that kind of character! XD

**pizzaslices** – I'm sorry Lucille didn't die…and Komui didn't find out….but thanks for your review! ;)

**InfinityOnTheRun** – I hope this chap had solved the complications…

**Astaline** **Nihtingale** – I was relieved to know that it's ok for you that I make longer chaps…at least one person didn't mind!…and I'll try to update as soon as I got the time!

**Elviol vi Yogyakarta** – Thank you very much! ;)

**Sakra-chan** – thank you for finding this story more interesting than the usual Lenalee-pregnant-with-Allen's-child plot! And I'll be focusing on the war now so just you wait! Thank you and take care too!

**fuck you** – Thank you for your honest opinion, but I don't understand why you have to curse me for three times. I _can't_ understand why you wanted to kill me, or murder me like what you specifically said… and I definitely did NOT break the AXL couple! I love them too much to break them apart! This chap's more than enough evidence that I wanted them to be together!

And thus my long AN had ended….

Now you know what to do…-coughreviewcough-


	13. The Enticement

Standard Disclaimer Applied…

Warning: OC-centered chapter!

* * *

"Twelfth Night" had been staged for over a week now and no one can deny that it was indeed a successful play. Some would say it was because the play was widely popular with the rich and the nobles, but no one could deny that the actress who played as the heroine was the main reason why the play had become successful.

"Heloise, there will be an audition for Les Miserables this coming Wednesday. It's your chance to shine if you grab Cosette's role!"

Heloise Rutherford was one of the quickly rising stars in the world of entertainment. Her debut in showbiz had been two years ago, but it was only until her role in "Twelfth Night" that the big time producers and entertainment companies began to notice her.

"I'm definitely going to try it then."

"You should! You have a very good chance to get that role!"

The actress didn't say anything as the play Les Miserables crowded her mind. She definitely had to get the main character's role. If she can't get Cosette's role, then she might as well die. That's how important Les Miserables was for her.

"Oh yeah, I saw you talking to _that_ woman on the first screening. She's a noble right? She's one of the richest and most influential people today. Why was she talking to you?"

Her train of thoughts stopped at the mention of a particular woman who approached her after Twelfth Night's first screening. She can still remember the woman's striking appearance and the things they've talked about. She glanced at her manager as if contemplating if she should tell her about the conversation. Seeing that her manager's already all-ears for her, she decided to just tell her about the concrete details.

"She wanted to be my sponsor, and wanted to meet up today at 1:30."

Her manager's face lit up. "Then go! It will be a great privilege to be under her support Heloise!"

"…" Heloise sighed. "I don't know about that…it's a generous offer alright, but I feel as if I shouldn't…"

"I don't understand."

A sigh. "I don't understand either. There's just a gut feeling telling me that it's best not to associate with her."

Silence…

"That's just a bad feeling. At least meet her today. There's nothing wrong with talking about a few things. If it was me, I would grab the opportunity without any hesitation. But the decision's still yours."

Heloise smiled at her manager. "Ok."

After her manager's approval, she quickly prepared herself and went outside of her apartment. She wore a heavy brown coat and a matching large brown hat to hide her face. She called a cab and had the driver see the address written in a small piece of parchment.

The trip lasted for about 45 minutes and after paying the cab, she found herself standing in front of a very large white mansion with tall golden gates separating it from the outside world. She gulped a bit and took another look at the paper as if confirming if she was in the right place. When she's sure it really was the place, she hid the paper inside her handbag and summoned the courage to ring the doorbell located at the gate post. But before she could even take a step towards it, the gate opened and a girl about 16 years approached her. The girl was wearing a black maid uniform with long wavy blue hair swaying at her back. The girl's neon green eyes never left her.

"I am Aria." The girl said as she bowed. "The Madame is waiting for you Miss Heloise. Please follow me."

Heloise nodded at the girl before slowly following her inside the mansion. She suddenly felt nervousness wash over her as she glanced at the obviously expensive paintings and vases positioned in many corners of the hallways. Was that woman really that rich?

She didn't even realize that Aria already stopped walking and would have bumped into her if she didn't call her attention.

"Miss Heloise."

She instinctively stopped her tracks and faced the shorter girl. Aria raised her left hand as if showing something. Heloise then looked at what she's showing. It was a big two-way door.

"This is Madame's office. She will be meeting you after a few moments."

Aria opened the doors and encouraged the actress to go inside. She waited for Heloise to sit in a crimson couch while she stood at the door's way. When Heloise was already comfortable, the girl bowed.

"Please wait for her."

Then she left.

Heloise stared at the door for a few moments before her eyes traveled to the decorations inside the room. Her eyes roamed in interest and admiration at the beautiful flower arrangement on the office table and the intricate design of the carpet underneath her feet. Then her eyes stopped their observations when she noticed the painting across her. It was overshadowed by curtains, but she can still see the contour of the face of a beautiful young woman.

"She's pretty isn't she? That's my mom when she was young."

She yelped in surprise as she whipped her head to her right. A toothy grin of a blonde-haired girl greeted her. Heloise blinked at the girl as if confirming if the girl was real. The younger female pouted at her reaction and jumped from behind her to sit beside her at the couch.

"Aw! Don't tell me you didn't know I was here the whole time!"

Heloise started to sweat. "I-I'm sorry."

"Hmph. It's ok. I was hiding under the table after all." The girl smiled at her. "By the way, the name's Diana, but that name stinks so please call me Dan. You're Heloise right?"

"Yes." Heloise stared at the girl. "How did you know my name?"

Dan smiled more. "We watched your play last week that's why I know you. You're so good there!"

Heloise smiled. "Thank you."

"Dan!"

The door suddenly opened and in came Xig wearing a bored look in his face. His bored looked was lifted, however, when he saw Heloise sitting there in the couch.

"So you're here already." He muttered as he approached the actress. He curtsy bowed at her as he flashed a gentle smile.

"My name is Xig, Miss Heloise. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Heloise blushed before she stood and bowed also. "It's a pleasure to meet you too."

"Playing the gentleman now Xig?" Dan suddenly cut in. She quirked an eyebrow. "Why are you calling me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Xig sighed and returned to his bored posture. "You're gonna be late for your piano lessons."

"But I don't want to! Piano sucks!"

"Just go there. Boss paid a lot for those lessons."

"No!" Dan suddenly hugged Heloise. The actress only sweatdropped.

"I want to play with her!"

Another sigh from Xig. "You're being annoying. Go there al –

"Xig is right Diana dear. It was hard convincing your piano teacher to tutor you."

Heloise felt Dan freeze for a moment as the girl unlatched her arms around her. Xig suddenly straightened his position as he bowed at the new presence on the doorway.

"Boss!"

Standing there with a posture of elegance was a woman in her mid thirties. The woman had black hair tied in a sophisticated bun and wore a white halter dress underneath a brown fur coat.

A smile. "Thank you for entertaining our guest Xig." Her dark green eyes turned to Dan.

"Diana dear, I would especially love it if you go to your lessons now."

The blonde girl pouted then stood up from her seat. She approached the woman and slowly hugged her.

"You'll return my skateboard after the class right?"

The woman smiled as she caressed Dan's hair. "Yes dear. Now go before your tutor loses her patience."

"Ok mom. See yah!"

Dan's heavy footsteps resounded through the air. Xig chuckled a bit then bowed at the woman again before exiting the room.

"I'll also be going now Boss. The client might be waiting already."

"Please do, Xig. Let's talk later."

Xig nodded then turned to Heloise. "See you again soon."

Then he's gone.

There was a pause before the click of the woman's high heeled stilettos broke the awkward silence. Heloise stood from her seat and waited for the woman to approach her. The woman smiled at her as she extended a hand. Heloise shook it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Madame."

"I'm pleased too, Heloise." The woman tightened her grip on the actress' hand. "And please, call me Edea."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Has the S.A. branch called yet?"

"Yes. But it's still the same. Allen still hadn't found any other clues."

Reever nodded in understanding as he placed a set of folders inside a drawer. Komui, on the other hand, was lazily signing a stack of papers beside him.

"It's been very hard on General Walker lately." Reever started . He took another set of folders.

"I mean, his mission got more complicated with the sudden appearance of the akuma. And now, we have this…._woman_."

The Australian sighed. "I bet he won't be returning any soon. It would be a shame if he missed Lenalee's delivery."

Komui sighed while he continued his work. "My poor Lenalee's gonna deliver soon… but the father still hasn't returned….we can only hope for Allen to solve this conflict soon."

"May we come in?"

Komui and Reever simultaneously glanced at the door. The Chinese stopped what he was doing for a moment as he smiled at the two people standing there.

"Bookman…Lavi…what's the matter?"

Lavi shrugged while he and Bookman entered the office.

"I dunno. Panda-jii here said there's something he wanted to know, and he just dragged me here."

Komui raised a brow before sitting up straight and diverting his gaze to Bookman. The older male only stared at him back with seriousness before walking towards the supervisor's desk so they can talk directly and face to face.

"I know what's going on, Komui."

There was a moment of silence as Komui and Reever suddenly felt nervous. Lavi only quirked an eyebrow as curiosity welled up in him. He also approached the desk and stood next to his master.

Komui narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Bookman didn't falter. "I heard you and Reever talking about it some time ago. Don't try to hide it."

The mentioned two froze at what the older Bookman said. Lavi's curiosity rose and he decided to speak up. There's something different with how Komui and Reever reacted, also the seriousness on his master's face told him there was something deep happening there. He had to find out.

"What's going on?" he carefully muttered to the supervisor.

Komui was still having a staring contest with Bookman. What was he supposed to do? It seemed that Bookman really had overheard him and Reever talking about Allen's mission, but should he tell him everything? After all, both he and Allen decided not to tell anyone. Yet, in the situation they are currently in…

"You won't stop until I tell you?"

"Of course."

"Is Lavi really necessary here?"

"As the next Bookman, he has the right to know everything."

Komui and Reever glanced at each other as if asking for the other's approval. The Chinese sighed and leaned on his desk, fingers laced with each other.

"What are the things that you heard?"

Bookman narrowed his eyes. "I heard that General Walker encountered an akuma, and there's a _woman _trying to start another war."

"What…?" Lavi can't believe his ears. "What? A-Akuma?"

Komui gave up. "I guess we should tell you everything now. But please, keep this between us and don't tell anyone else."

Since Bookman pretty much knew the whole picture, they ended up explaining things to Lavi instead. After a good 10 minutes of explaining and questioning, the redhead was rendered speechless as a dreaded feeling settled at the pit of his stomach. When he finally recovered, his temples began to sweat.

"So that's the reason why…"

Komui glanced at Lavi. "What are you –

"The reason why we can still activate the innocence." Lavi stared at him. "This might be the reason why the innocence still remains as a weapon. It's because, this whole war's not over."

"I think I got what you're saying." Komui stated. "I was also wondering why the innocence didn't return to its dormant state. You may have a point."

Bookman nodded. "Yes. That's why the Vatican sent Allen Walker to a classified mission. He also noticed the innocence's refusal to sleep. He wanted to know if it's really over."

"And now we have General Walker's confirmation…" Reever glanced at the other three, waiting for them to say something. He only got silence.

Lavi sighed. "I think Lenalee should know this."

"NO!" Komui suddenly cut in. "Don't tell her!"

"Why not?" Lavi frowned. "She's been worried sick about her fiancé. It's also her right to know."

"Understand her condition Lavi." Komui interjected. "She's going to give birth very soon and we can't afford to tell her something like this."

"…"

Reever nodded. "Besides, Allen especially requested not to tell her anything. He wanted Lenalee to have a smooth pregnancy period. He didn't want her worrying even more."

Lavi paused for a moment before releasing a defeated sigh. "Yes…but how should I face her now? If you just looked at how she's been missing him, you would want to tell her everything."

"I know." Komui stated in concern. "But it's for the best."

Bookman nodded. "The supervisor's right Lavi. The General's child is also an important part of history. We need to protect Ms. Lenalee and the child."

"Yes. So please don't tell her, especially now that Allen will be entering a more dangerous stage."

Lavi averted his attention to the Chinese. "What do you mean?"

"Shandez told me, if ever Allen encountered the mystery woman…" his brows narrowed.

"…he'll face her head-on."

"What?" the redhead stared at Komui for a moment before sighing again. "That's just like him."

"Yeah. He would always fearlessly face anyone threatening to destroy the world…but that is also why I'm worried."

Lavi nodded. He's also worried for his friend who was currently alone in the battlefield. And knowing him, he's sure Allen will shoulder everything by himself again. He's the type who won't involve anyone else and would rather sacrifice himself for the sake of his loved ones. But Allen's situation is different now. He had a family waiting patiently for him. He had to be careful with his movements.

"Komui," Lavi narrowed his eyes to him. "Why don't you send me there as Allen's back-up?"

The Chinese widened his eyes as he contemplated for a bit. He shook his head.

"I understand why you want to go there, but I'm afraid I can't give you permission to back him up."

Lavi's brow's furrowed. "The enemy's certainly strong to have power over akuma, and even if Allen's a general, he's still alone. He needs somebody to assist him!"

"I know!" Komui bellowed. "But it will be suspicious if I send any of you from here to assist him! Many would definitely ask and we'll be forced to tell!"

"We can't leave him alone there now that the conflict's getting worse!"

Komui took a deep breath and looked at Lavi in the eye, telling him to calm down. The red head did get the message and decided to shut up for a moment. Komui's look told him he got a plan.

"Don't worry Lavi." The supervisor muttered as a small smile appeared on his lips. "There's someone we can send to help him."

Lavi felt relieved. "Don't tell me it's Yu."

"No. Didn't I just mention that I can't send someone from here? From where many people may notice?"

Lavi thought for a moment until he got the point. He smirked as a small grin formed on his face.

"You're really smart Komui."

Bookman shared a grin. "You'll send someone who's already away from H.Q., someone who won't get noticed even if he did something without the Vatican's consent."

"Good thinking." The Chinese replied with a bit of glee.

"And there's only one person I can think of."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"What did she say boss?"

Xig sat at the crimson couch with a soft thud. It had been a few minutes since Heloise Rutherford left the mansion. He was called by the Madame because she wanted him to do something. He was surprised to see her sitting on her wooden chair and sipping a cup of tea. Her eyes were slit in annoyance.

Edea returned the cup to its saucer and wiped her lips with a silk handkerchief.

"She said she'll think about it. But I can see she didn't want to."

"That's why you're annoyed." Xig glanced at her.

"So what's the plan?"

"I want you to go to the Central hospital and visit a girl named Anna Rutherford."

Xig nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

"The poor girl has stage 2 cancer. She's Heloise's little cousin. Both their parents died so Heloise is the only one who can take care of her."

Edea faced Xig with a wide smile. "Why don't you make it easier for them and level up Anna-chan?"

The male stared at the smile. He shivered. "Ok, I get it. When do you want me to do it?"

"Now."

Xig didn't say anything and quickly left the room. The smile on Edea's lips widened even more as she took the handset from her phone and quickly dialed numbers. A few rings resounded in her ears until a voice picked up.

"Mathilde! It's me! How's your stage play doing?"

The conversation ended after a minute and soon she was laughing heartily as if something good happened. She stood from her chair and looked out at the window behind her, a white rose clasped between her fingers as she smelled its scent.

"You shouldn't have refused me Heloise. If you just accepted, I wouldn't have to do this."

She twirled the flower in front of her. "You can't escape your fate, my dear. Whatever you do, you _will _come to me."

She stopped playing with the flower. Then with a quick move, she grasped the bud and crushed it with her clenched fist. Petals fell down to the floor while she threw the dead flower to the trash can.

"Besides, Lulubell's been waiting for you."

-/-/-

-/-/-

Xig slowly walked through the white-painted hallways of the central hospital. He shook his head as he remembered the beautiful actress who paid them a visit some hours ago. If only Heloise had accepted, his Boss patience wouldn't have gone down and her cousin will be saved. But the damage was done and he had no choice but to obey his master.

He stopped in front of a room with the number "285" and gently opened the doorknob. He went inside and closed the door again.

"Good day, Anna-chan."

He placed the bouquet of white roses at a side table and stared at the sleeping face of a girl who resembled Heloise a lot, if not for the brown hair.

"These roses are from my master. She said it's for your cousin's behalf."

Xig took a step closer and placed a hand on the girl's forehead. His eyes softened a bit.

"You don't have anything to do with this but I need you to suffer more. Your cousin's despair is not enough to make her come to us so please cooperate."

A purplish black aura suddenly surrounded the girl. The white roses suddenly wilted and immediately turned to ashes then nothing. The girl's eyebrows suddenly wrinkled then he withdrew his hand, the aura gone with his movement. He took a step back and curtsy bowed to her, his now yellow eyes flashing in malice, the seven stigmata now visible in his gray forehead.

"Sweet dreams, little lady."

And when he vanished, the girl began moaning in deep pain. The machines connected to her started to signal warnings and soon nurses rushed inside the room, panicking and wondering why the girl's condition suddenly worsened from a still curable stage 2 to a hopeless stage 4.

-/-/-

-/-/-

The large room was full of different ladies who were sitting in nervousness and anticipation. Heloise didn't twitch like the other actresses, but she was still nervous. The audition for Cosette's role ended an hour ago and they were told to wait for the result inside the room. It won't be long before one of them will be given one of the biggest opportunities in stage acting.

The sound of the doorknob twisting caught the ladies attention and soon all were frozen as they waited the door to fully open. When it was indeed opened, a woman greeted them with a smile. The small clip board caught the ladies' attention.

"Firstly, we want to thank all of you who auditioned for Cosette's role." The woman started.

"But as you may all know, only one lady can make her character alive."

She glanced at her clipboard. "And the person we have chosen is…"

Heloise didn't move while she waited for the woman's fateful statement. She had to get the role. She had to! For her cousin who she loved so much…for her recovery, she had get Cosette's part in the play!

"Ladies, please congratulate Ms. Leona Branford! She's the lucky lady who will be playing Cosette!"

The mention of another name besides hers made Heloise to freeze in both shock and dread. Did she hear it right? Was she really not picked?

She would want to believe she's just dreaming, that it was only a bad hallucination caused by her nervousness. But the other's laughing faces and cheering voices told her in a thousand fold that she really was not chosen. She had failed to get it. All the practice and hard work was suddenly gone in a second. What was she lacking that caused her to fail? Was she not good enough? Not skilled enough? And to think the judges were praising her so much when it was her turn to audition!

She managed a smile and a small "Congratulations" to the chosen girl before she walked out of the room. She can't stay there any longer. But as she left the room, she failed to notice the announcer's apologetic face towards her. Heloise was really the one chosen after all, but their most important sponsor said she didn't want Heloise to play Cosette. It was a shame, but they had no choice but to give in to the sponsor's request.

Heloise was still in a daze when she arrived at her flat. But before she could even sit, her manager appeared from her lounge and hugged her immediately.

"I heard Heloise. I'm sorry you didn't get it. But there's something more important right now!"

Her manager pulled away and held her by the arms.

"Your cousin's in a critical condition now!"

Her senses suddenly returned. "What? But how?"

"I don't know! But you have to go to the hospital at once!"

She didn't waste any second and dashed out of her apartment. She called a cab and ordered the driver to take her to her destination as soon as possible. Upon arriving there, she ran through the hallways without stopping until she arrived at her cousin's room. She quickly opened the door and went inside.

"Anna!"

"Ms. Rutherford! Thank God you finally arrived!"

The male doctor was sweating as he approached the female. Heloise'e eyes moved from her sleeping cousin to the doctor.

"Please tell me what happened!"

"It was really mysterious." The doctor began with a gulp. "Her cancer cells suddenly began reproducing in an abnormal rate."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry." The doctor glanced at the sleeping girl in pity. "Her cancer's stage four now. We can't do anything anymore."

"No…" Heloise shook her head as tears welled up on her eyes. "Don't say that…"

"But that's the –

"Don't say that!"

She stared at her cousin's sleeping face with glazed eyes. She can't believe it. First, her failure with the audition, and now her cousin's going to…! What did she do to deserve those? She can't think anymore. She needed to get out of there, out of the world's evils. So she ran out of the room, then out of the building. Tears continued to cascade from her eyes. She had to find something. She had to find a solution. Something. Anything that can save her cousin.

And then she remembered.

"_I can help you with anything, Heloise."_

She stopped dead in her tracks. Was that what Edea said?

-/-/-

-/-/-

Edea smirked when she saw the silhouette of Heloise in front of her gates. It was predictable that the actress would rush to her immediately after experiencing failures one after another. It was what she had planned. Heloise just needed an ounce more of despair, just a little push so that she would come to her. Edea's smirk widened. It was already her win.

"Edea-san!"

She turned around with a smile at the entrance of Heloise. The actress was obviously distraught, with tears still flowing from her eyes and her cheeks flushed red from crying. It was cute.

"Oh my! What happened Heloise? Why are you crying?"

The actress ran and grabbed the noble's hands, her own shaking from the distress she's feeling. Heloise tightened her grip as she stared up to the other woman's face.

"Please…"

Edea's green eyes sparked for a moment.

"Please?"

"Please…" Heloise muffled a sob. "Please help my cousin…you said you'll help her if I accept your offer…and I accept. Just save her….I'll do anything….save her please!"

She looked down and let her tears fall to the polished floor, but she didn't let go of the other woman's hands. Her body shook from trying to stop her tears while Edea stared at the actress' form with unwavering eyes. Then a small smile formed on her lips. She finally got the sacrifice in her hands. The only thing she needed to do was to take her _there_.

"I'll help you dear." She whispered with a masked delight. "We'll save your cousin. You just have to cooperate and go with me to a special place."

Heloise only nodded and had let the older woman gently pull her through the hallways, down a hidden staircase then to a dark hallway. She didn't notice that she was already there, and had only realized their location when someone hugged her on her midsection.

"You returned! I'm so glad."

She looked down to see Dan smiling widely at her. For a moment, a flash of her sick cousin's face appeared in her mind and she managed to smile for a bit before placing a gentle hand on Dan's head. The younger girl only smiled more.

"Don't worry! After this, everything will be alright! You just have to obey mom!"

Xig emerged from the shadows and greeted Heloise with a bow and a smile. He didn't wait for a reply though and faced Edea as if waiting for a command. The woman smiled at him with a nod, making him sigh.

"I'll prepare the circle then."

Then he walked passed them and went inside a room just a few meters away from them.

"Aria."

There was a dark wind and the form of a white cat appeared in front of them. Heloise stared at the feline with wonder. Where did she hear the cat's name? Edea, however, didn't let her contemplate any further when she gave the cat a command.

"Return to your original form. We need your help."

"Yes, master."

Then black light surrounded the cat. In a split second, the feline was replaced with a young girl wearing a maid uniform with long blue hair swaying for a bit. Aria glanced at Heloise and bowed slightly.

"We meet again Miss Heloise. I'll be assisting you today."

Heloise can't believe what she just witnessed and didn't have a chance to greet the maid back. The cat just transformed into the maid who accompanied her the other time! Dan giggled at her reaction and finally pulled away from her.

"Don't be so surprised Heloise! You'll get to see more of that soon."

"She's right." Edea smiled and ordered Aria to open the door to the room. She looked down at Dan.

"Would you like to watch Diana dear?"

Dan's face lit up. "Of course mom! The ritual's really beautiful to see after all!"

"Ritual?" Heloise whispered in question. Edea heard and smiled more at her.

"It's just a simple procedure to fortify our agreement. Don't worry, it's not dangerous."

Dan already went inside the room while Aria waited for the two ladies to come in too. Edea extended a hand to the actress, then with a seemingly gentle smile,

"Shall we go?"

Heloise didn't notice the sinister spark in the noble's dark eyes as she reached for her gloved hands. It's now or never. If what they were about to do can save her beloved cousin, then she won't hesitate anymore.

-/-/-

-/-/-

Blood.

Cries.

And a scream.

Dan laughed hysterically at a corner while Aria and Xig stood beside the girl with expressionless eyes. The floor was patched with splatters of blood. In the middle was a big magic circle with runic signs, but the red liquid already covered most of the them. Edea watched in glee as Heloise laid helplessly in the circle's center. Her hair was soaked in her own blood while tears cascaded from her now blackened eyes. She's not moving.

Edea smirked.

"Now rise, my dear Noah! And greet your new master!"

Dark aura surrounded Heloise then seven stigmata emerged from her forehead, cutting her skin into seven crosses. Blood flowed from the wounds, making Dan laugh more. She ran to her mother with wide eyes.

"She's going to wake up!"

As soon as the girl said that, Heloise began to twitch from her position. Slowly, her body moved by itself and stood, letting the blood drip to the floor more with her sudden movements. Edea went nearer to the bloodied woman.

"Open your eyes, Lulubell."

In a moment, Heloise slowly opened her eyes, but it was not the blue ones that she had. It was replaced with bright yellow orbs. A smirk made its way to her face as gray colored her white skin. She raised a hand and ran her fingers through her soaked hair.

"It's good to be awake again."

Edea smiled. "I'm looking forward to working with you Lulubell. I know it's not that long since the Earl died, but I hope we can work together."

Lulubell stared at the older woman with a smile back.

"It's an honor to serve under you, Edea-sama. You are, after all, Earl-sama's _creator_."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Lulubell! Long time no see!" Dan hugged Heloise again, not minding the blood. The actress smirked.

"Rhode…it's been awhile." She glanced at the corner and smiled at the male there who smiled back.

"Tyki."

"It's good to have you back, Lulubell."

Edea giggled at the scene unfolding in front of her.

"It's so touching to have reunions isn't it?" her smile darkened.

"Now, why don't we have a more touching reunion and meet our favorite person, ne?"

Dan's face lit up. "We're going to meet _him_?"

"Yes dear, very soon." Edea glanced at Xig.

"How's the egg?"

"The repair's complete. We can manufacture more now."

"Good!"

Edea laughed heartily as she turned to the newly awakened Noah with dark menacing eyes. She put a finger on her lip, as if thinking something.

"What shall we do with Anna-chan then? She's still struggling at the hospital."

Heloise thought for a moment, her face showing no emotions at the mention of the girl.

"This person didn't want her cousin to suffer any longer. So please, let Anna rest…for eternity."

"As expected!"

Edea laughed as she signaled Xig to do something. The male nodded and was gone through the shadows. After a moment of silence, the noble stared at the noahs with a pure evil smile, her green eyes flashing with overwhelming malice. Their time had finally come.

"Let the games begin!"

* * *

**AN:** It's been AGES since I last updated and I'm very sorry about that. And as usual, it's about SCHOOL. Gah! I didn't know my course can be so time-consuming! I didn't even have the chance to catch a breath!

Then this chapter's been awfully short and rushed. I just sneaked this in while doing a project because I felt the need to update, and I won't feel better if I don't update so I did it! I just hope it turned out alright and not horridly distorted.

And I would like to thank the following people:

**signrain**

**Kalana Fox**

**Sifrir**

**InfinityOnTheRun**

**Insane**

**yuenying848**

**Hitokiri Ryuu**

**Sakra-chan**

**damon blade**

**Astaline Nihtingale**

**KyuuinShinkei**

**RyoMoonFang**

**Ashka-chan**

**Chiaki Satuwatari**

**jinku**

**cy-kun**

**Moon Of Jupiter**

You guys made my day brighter and with that I give my love and gratitude!

I can't tell the next time I get to update, but I'm positive I can finish this story before the year ends. So until next time people! And please continue to bear with me!

Adios!


	14. The Movement

Standard Disclaimer Applied…

* * *

"Good morning General!"

Allen looked up from the piled up plates in front of him and grinned when he saw the branch's supervisor with her secretary.

"Ohayou, supervisor! It's rare for you and Mona-san to eat here."

Shandez grinned back at the young exorcist as she and her companion sat in front of him with their food trays.

"Well, the atmosphere in my office gets rather suffocating sometimes…" she sweatdropped at the piles of plates.

"You never seize to amaze me with your appetite, General Walker."

Allen shrugged while he swallowed a large lump of food.

"I've always been like this. It's hard to maintain energy with my innocence so I need a lot of food to regain strength."

"That's one of the downsides of a parasitic type." Mona added as she passed a newspaper Shandez.

"Any interesting news?"

"Nothing much." Mona answered. "But there's this news about the chosen lead for the play Les Miserables. It said the lead was killed about 3 days ago. The actress who starred in Twelfth Night replaced her."

"Hmm. That might be interesting to read."

Shandez thanked her secretary and started reading after she sipped from her cup of coffee. Mona, on the other hand, didn't stop watching the white-haired exorcist in his eating spree. A moment passed and a random thought came out from her mind. She can't help but stifle a laugh.

"I was wondering…" she shook her head to prevent the laugh while Allen stared at her.

"Is something wrong Mona-san?"

Mona smiled at him. "I wonder how Ms. Lee can keep up cooking food with that appetite of yours…"

Allen choked on his food. He grabbed the glass of water beside him and quickly took a gulp. He sighed when the lump of food was already swallowed. Mona smiled more.

"I mean, if she will be the one to do the cooking after the marriage…unless you know how."

The exorcist cleared his throat with a small blush on his cheeks.

"I do know how…and I'll certainly suppress my appetite when _that_ time comes."

After that said, he returned to eating while Mona started eating her own too. Shandez was taking small bites from her sandwich, but that didn't stop the frown from forming on her lips. Her secretary noticed the narrowed eyebrows on her superior's face.

"Something wrong with the taste, supervisor?" Shandez glanced at her then shook her head.

"No. I like my sandwich enough."

"Then why are you frowning like that?"

Shandez sighed and lowered the newspaper. "It's this one section. It said the murders kept increasing these past few days."

"Murders?" Allen stopped eating again when he heard the supervisor. Shandez nodded.

"Yes, murders. They all took place in random places and the way of killing is grotesque. The police are guessing it's a crazed serial killer."

Allen put down his eating utensils. "Could it be…an akuma?"

"I was thinking that too." Shandez gave the newspaper back to Mona. "So, what're you gonna do General?"

"I'll investigate." The male answered as he wiped his mouth with a table napkin while standing up. The doctor nodded.

"If it's an akuma, don't forget about _that _Genaral."

"I know." Allen answered again before he walked out of the cafeteria. "I won't forget."

"That's the second string of murders since we first found out about the akuma." Mona said after the General left.

"Yes. I just hope we can finally get a lead with this."

Mona sighed. "Lead about the confidential information Supervisor? I wish you can enlighten me."

Shandez grinned apologetically. "In the right time Mona. I'll tell you in the right time."

Allen greeted a few scientists along the way before he completely left the building to investigate about the murders. He went straight to the police station since he knew they're definitely the ones who had most of the information. Upon arriving at the nearest station, he immediately approached a police eating donuts at the front desk.

"Good morning sir." He greeted with a smile. The police replied with an annoyed stare, obviously disturbed in his donut-eating.

"What do you want?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me about the murders happening lately, if you don't mind that is."

The police raised an eyebrow. "And why are you asking?"

Allen sweatdropped. "I just wanted to help."

"We don't need your help, punk. Just leave the case to us authorities."

"Um…right." The exorcist gave up. "I'll just investigate by myself then."

The police snorted. "Tsk. Investigate all you want, but don't disturb the detectives who are in the case."

Allen nodded before going out of the station. "I understand, sir."

He sighed at his futile attempt to gather information then went on his way, deciding to just go to the places of the crimes then maybe he can at least get some pieces of data to start from. After asking a few willing people, he came to the said places where the murders occurred. The locations ranged from dark alleys, to school auditoriums, and even in wide open parks. It was rather disturbing that someone had the guts to actually kill in places that can attract attention but managed to escape without any trace. Only one creature appeared in the back of his mind.

Since he didn't get any information from the murder locations (add the fact that his cursed eye wasn't reacting), he decided to just do some Q and A for the meantime. He asked a few people connected to the victims, especially the ones who were last seen with them. Some were already not willing to help, but a few were glad to share. It was the fifth person's story that caught his attention.

"There was this man Leslie bumped into the night before she was killed. I know because she told me on the phone…"

He was talking with a middle school girl who was friends with one of the murder victims. The girl tried to speak calmly but tears were already running from her eyes.

"What's the connection of the man to your friend?" he asked gently. The girl sniffed.

"She said the man was so angry with her that she just ran out from there. Then the next day, she…"

Allen paused for a moment before he asked again. "Did she say anything about how the man looked?"

"Nothing much…" the girl sniffed again. "But she did say the man was a doctor and had this weird star on his forehead."

"Star on his forehead?" the exorcist's eyes widen. The girl nodded.

"Yeah…"

"Did you tell this to the police?"

"Yes, but we lacked information so I never find out who that doctor was…"

Allen didn't think twice after the girl's story. He had a strong feeling that the doctor had something to do with the murders, especially since a "star on the forehead" was mentioned. He leaned downward to the girl's eye level then placed his right hand on her shoulder.

"Where is the nearest hospital from where Leslie was murdered?"

"The nearest is St. Luke's Hospital…"

"Ok then."

Allen smiled then squeezed the girl's shoulder comfortingly. The girl looked up to him with half wonder and embarrassment upon seeing the male's smile.

"I promise to catch the murderer, so please don't cry ok? I'm sure Leslie wouldn't want you to keep grieving."

The girl didn't say anything for a moment then nodded with a sob.

"I will sir. Thank you…"

Allen smiled more. "Good. Thank you too."

With that, he stood up then left the girl there after a final goodbye. He guiltily glanced back with another smile before changing directions towards the hospital. He did say that he would "catch" the murderer, but the truth was far from "just catching". He knew what he had to do, and the girl didn't have to know that.

He returned his gaze to the road as his eyes narrowed in determination. He will definitely get to the bottom of the murder case. It was a god-given chance for him to know more about the mystery woman, and he won't stop until he solved it.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Innocence, activate!"

Crown Clown placed itself around Allen's neck as a long white cape flowed from his back, his claw of steel replaced the deformed left hand.

He went to the hospital right after his interrogation with the girl earlier. He had lingered there for a few hours until his eye reacted to a white-clad man in his thirties with black hair and eyes covered in thick-rimmed glasses. He followed the man to wherever he will be going until he was led to an abandoned building a block away from the hospital. There was a short conversation between him and the doctor until the said man showed his true colors. He really was an akuma, a level-two at that.

At the obvious difference of power between them however, the akuma was cornered almost instantly after Allen activated his Crown Clown. After a powerful Cross Grave, the level-two akuma was near to death.

"You will NEVER defeat the Mistress! You are strong, but that's not enough to stop her plans for our revival!"

It was a surprise that the akuma can still talk with its condition but Allen let him speak more. He raised his claw, as if threatening the demon into something.

"Tell me," his eyes narrowed. "Who is your master?"

A ghost of a smirk appeared on the akuma's lips.

"Find out yourself, _General_."

The akuma exploded after the exorcist gave a final Cross Grave. He did not bother to take a look at the remains. Although he must say, the akuma he had just defeated was far more improved and stronger than the first one he encountered in Brazil. He looked up upon sensing the akuma's saved spirit. He asked the soul if it knew anything, but as usual, the soul's answer was the same "A woman…" before it completely disappeared.

Allen gritted his teeth in frustration as he left the abandoned building without as much as a back glance. The culprit of the murders was finally stopped, but how about the real problem? How about the one thing he wanted to know the most?

"Argh, Dammit. I was so close…again."

He shook his head then walked on his way back to the S. A. Branch with a deep frown on his face. The supervisor would definitely not like this.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Didn't you have classes today, Dan?"

"I do. But my tutor's sick with diarrhea so she can't teach me."

"Diarrhea huh? I bet you did something…"

"What? Of course not! If it was me, I would've killed her already!"

Xig sweatdropped at Diana's answer. He was always surprised with the little girl's sadism that he always forgot Diana was, after all, the first to be "revived" by Edea. Given that, he remembered that Rhode Kamelot was also the first Noah to be awakened by the Earl…

He smirked when he realized history's kind of repeating itself, and with how things were turning out, he just hoped the outcome was different from the previous war. This time, they'll definitely come out at the top.

"Oi, where are you going?"

He raised an eyebrow when Dan started walking out of the living room. The girl didn't stop her tracks but turned her head sideways to answer Xig's question.

"I'm going to mama's room. Wanna come?"

Xig thought for a moment then shrugged.

"I can't stop you anyway."

A grin. "Thought so."

A number of staircases down the mansion were passed before they came upon the same room where Heloise was transformed. But unlike last time, a door shaped like a heart was found at the middle of the room. Aria, in her cat form, was sitting beside the said door, her feline eyes flashing at the arrival of the two nobles.

"Miss Diana, Master Xig."

"Yo, Aria!" Dan kneeled and patted the cat's head.

"We want to see mama. Is she busy?"

The cat purred. "You may enter as you wish, Miss. She didn't say that she doesn't want to be disturbed."

Dan grinned at the cat's statement and didn't say any further before stepping towards the door. She twisted the doorknob with glee and went inside. Xig followed shortly after nodding at the watching cat.

"Mama! Is it okay if we stay here for a bit?"

The room was pitch black. The only thing that lighted it was dozens of monitors lined up together in a wall. Different kinds of doors were found at the other walls, including the ceiling. At the middle of the floor though, was a single red Victorian couch where Edea sat. Heloise was standing next to the sofa. Edea glanced sideways with a smile upon seeing Dan and Xig.

"Diana dear! Is your piano lessons over?"

"No!" Dan said as she ran up and jumped to the sofa, landing next to her mother.

"She said her tutor's sick with diarrhea." Xig added while taking his place beside Heloise.

Edea patted Dan's head. "Oh my, I wonder if your tutor's going to be ok?"

"Hmph. Just replace her mama! I don't like her anyway, she's too strict!"

"Really?" the noblewoman thought for a moment. "I'll do that then."

Xig shrugged. "Anyway, why are you here Boss? And with Heloise too…doesn't she have a rehearsal for the play?"

"The rehearsal's over about an hour ago" Heloise answered. "They told me I could rest, so I went here for Edea-sama."

Edea nodded. "Yes. I needed her to see the developments in our plans."

"About akuma no. 16?" Xig looked up at the monitors. "He's killed already?"

Heloise nodded. "Yes. Not long ago, by a white-haired male with a claw-like weapon."

"He's called an exorcist Heloise." Edea cut in with a sigh. "Seems like Lulu Bell's memories still hasn't merged with yours yet…"

"Wait," Xig widened his eyes. "A male with white hair..."

His eyes flashed. "_Him_?"

"Yes."

Edea took a remote and pressed a button to replay what they were watching some time ago. The said white-haired male appeared on the screens seconds later with the level-two akuma. They were having a few attacks then a short conversation before the akuma exploded.

"Cool! I get to see him again!" Dan remarked with a grin. Xig just stared at the monitors.

"So what's the problem?"

Edea shrugged. "The same as from centuries years ago. Our akumas are too weak against the innocence, especially against an innocence with the likes of _that_."

Xig nodded. "What do you want to do then?"

Edea thought for a moment, her eyes also staring at the monitors as if trying to grasp something that can give her a hint.

"I've been asleep for a century." She started with a low voice.

"Those years…I was only able to watch the battles from visions so I knew the events that happened. But that's not enough to help me continue the akuma project. I need deeper information in order to make the complete and ultimate akuma."

There's silence as the others thought for something to say. It was just like what their mistress said. Although she was the original creator of the akuma, she was put to sleep before she can actually finish her research. Edea had only witnessed the battles from the second perspective and if they really wanted to finish what they had started, they would have to provide their leader with deeper information about what the akuma had been through. Just experimenting with prototypes wouldn't be enough.

Dan gave up analyzing after almost half a minute of silence. She sighed deeply then leaned her back further on the sofa, her eyes diverting their line of sight to the older female beside her.

"But the only ones who knew more information about the akuma…"

She paused for a moment. "…are the exorcists."

The others all stared at their youngest member.

Silence...

Xig smirked. "You're right…the exorcists should have more data…or specifically, the Black Order."

"Yeah. The Black Order must have some super confidential information that they're hiding!"

Edea nodded after a few moments then smiled at Dan.

"Good thinking, Diana. I'm glad you thought of that."

She gave the girl a light kiss on her temples then stood up from her seat, the remote in her hands. She raised it in front of her then turned off the monitors before giving it to Dan who happily turned it on again to watch some cartoons. Edea turned around and faced the other two adults in the room. Her eyes immediately rested on them.

"Xig." She crossed her arms. "There's a Black Order branch here right?"

Xig and Heloise glanced at each other first before the male answered.

"Yes, I think it's located at the outskirts of the city." Edea nodded then turned to the actress.

"Heloise dear, I'm going to give you your first mission."

The actress nodded. "I'm willing to do anything, Edea-sama."

"Good." The leader smiled. "I want you to accomplish it as soon as possible."

-/-/-

-/-/-

The scientists knew right away that the General was in a bad mood when he arrived at the S.A. Branch. They wondered what had caused him to frown so deeply despite his cheery expression earlier in the morning. But they didn't press into the issue any further because he obviously didn't want to talk about it.

Allen appreciated the perceptiveness of the scientists around him when he arrived there. He knew they were watching him as he made his way towards the supervisor's office. He thought they would catch up to him and ask about the events of his brief adventure outside the branch. Fortunately enough for him, they quickly noticed the frown on his face. They realized right away that he wasn't in the mood to talk.

He knocked softly on the door in front of him and waited for a confirmation that he was already allowed to go inside of the room. When he heard the supervisor's voice, he twisted the doorknob and quietly went inside the office. He closed the door upon his entry.

"So," Shandez looked up from her computer screen to the exorcist. She sweatdropped when she saw Allen's expression then returned to the computer.

"Don't worry, we'll just have to wait another chance."

"I'm sorry, supervisor." Allen muttered while he snaked his fingers through his hair.

"It definitely was an akuma that initiated the murders."

"But it wasn't willing to share any information about the woman." Shandez continued after she stopped typing. She stood up from her office chair and leaned instead on the edge on the desk, a cup of coffee in her hand.

"It seems like we just have to wait for them to show themselves."

Allen quirked a brow. "So we'll just wait?"

"Well, pursuing akumas is no use." The doctor answered with a shrug.

"No need to be impatient, General. I know they'll step out soon."

The two stared at each other for a moment until Shandez shook her head and smiled at the exorcist. She had seen the question in his eyes so she continued explaining.

"Those akumas were obviously meant for an experimental stage. Whoever that woman is, she's trying to figure something by using _prototypes_. But because you keep on destroying said prototypes, that woman would definitely do a different step."

She pointed a finger to him. "And that step, General Walker, is what we're going to anticipate."

She lowered her finger as Allen thought over her words. When he's sure he got what the doctor meant to say, he nodded in determination and let a smile finally grace his lips.

"I understand, doctor." He smiled more. "It's really great having you here. I doubt I'll be able to do this much without you."

Shandez chuckled. "Thank you General, but I'm only doing my job. I do appreciate the flattery though."

Allen chuckled too before turning towards the door.

"I won't be disturbing you any longer, doctor. Thank you again."

"Don't mention it General." Shandez placed her cup on the desk.

"I know you wanted this whole ordeal solved as soon as possible."

Allen glanced back at her. The doctor continued speaking.

"But it's not wrong to fail sometimes. You can relax, General. Just take one step at a time. Why don't you go sight-seeing even just once? Maybe that will help you think of a new plan."

The white-haired exorcist stared more at the smiling supervisor who was already returning to her seat. He nodded after a moment then gave a small bow of respect to her. Shandez blinked in surprise.

"I'll remember your words, Shandez-san." Allen muttered with a smile. "Really, thank you."

Shandez watched him leave the room before she let a smile form on her lips. Was she really that a reliable person? She didn't know she had the kind of impact with the young general for him to actually bow in front of her, especially since he's a couple of ranks higher than her. It was truly flattering.

She giggled with a small blush before she started typing on the keyboard. Maybe if she was younger, she would have fallen for Allen Walker with how he was acting. Then again, she wasn't even sure if that's the case.

"If only you were as gentlemanly as him, Komui."

She sweatdropped at her own words then shook her head, deciding to just devote her time in researching about the akuma. Not that thinking about the Chinese supervisor was a bad idea. She just had to set her attention to her current priorities first. Then she can think about him as long as she wanted after she finished her research.

After that being said, her face turned serious as she drowned herself with the same information again. It was already becoming unnerving for her to set her eyes on very similar data time after time. But she had to endure it. She had to find even just an ounce of any hint that can lead her to the mystery woman. She knew Allen was doing his best too, but just searching on foot wouldn't be enough. Knowledge from history was much more reliable and searching on computer databases would be faster.

Yet her efforts were still in vain. She had searched into different encyclopedias and had read almost all books about akuma in their branch library and still, she can't find anything. All the factual data had been searched and analyzed by her, but there was nothing. She was beginning to lose hope.

"Damn that mystery woman." She muttered in annoyance after her three hours of endless readings.

"If only she's like a gossip story, it will be so much easier…"

She stared at the ceiling.

_Gossip story…_

"Wait…" she widened her eyes and jerked her head towards the computer screen. "That's it!"

Her fingers suddenly crossed the keyboard in lightning speed. Why hadn't she thought about it first? If there was nothing in the facts, then she should try searching in the other side – fiction. Fiction stories sure are untrue, that's why they're called fiction right? But some of them had actual basis from facts. If she could find even one story that had a close connection to akuma or the mystery woman, they would definitely be in advantage.

She picked her phone located beside the computer and quickly dialed numbers. She listened to a few rings before someone picked up from the other line.

"Hello. This is Dr. Baker from the South American Branch. I would like to speak to Supervisor Vea."

"_Please wait for a moment, ma'am. I'll connect you to her."_

"Go ahead, I'll wait."

A few seconds later…

"_Shandez! It's been months since you last called! What's up?"_

"I'm fine Vea. I want you to send me all the things in your database that's connected to sorcerers or magic. I need it a.s.a.p."

"_Wait, what? And why do you need those kinds of information?"_

"Just do it Vea! I'm bored ok? I just feel like reading about them."

"_Hmm…I don't understand you at all! But anyway, I'll still send you those files. It will take about an hour and a half."_

"It's ok. What's important is you send them."

"_You got it Shandez. Just wait."_

"Ok, thank you, and sorry for disturbing you."

"_No prob!"_

She sighed after she hanged up. She leaned on her chair then massaged her throbbing temples. Now that the files were going to be sent to her, she might as well rest while waiting for them. She stood up from her chair and went towards the door while still massaging her forehead. She definitely needed an analgesic.

Upon leaving her office, a couple of scientists greeted her so she forced a smile on her face. Mona passed by but managed to notice the narrowed eyes of her superior. She tapped Shandez on the arm to take her attention.

"Supervisor, you ok?"

Shandez gave her secretary a peace sign.

"I'm fine Mona. Just a little fatigued from work."

Mona frowned. "Go to the cafeteria and grab something to eat. I'll get an analgesic."

"I'm fine ok? I'll get the analgesic myself."

"You're being annoying supervisor. Just do as I said and eat because you look like you've skipped meals for days. We don't need a weakened leader."

A staring session occurred between the two of them before Shandez gave up and sighed.

"You sounded like my mother."

Mona smirked. "Well, you were asking for it."

"Whatever." The doctor started to walk. "I'll wait for you at the cafeteria."

"Right. I'll be back in a minute."

After that brief confrontation, Shandez did as what she was told and went to the cafeteria to order a sandwich or a vegetable soup. Since it was already snack time, a lot of scientists and other workers were inside having their break. She chose to sit in a table with a few people.

"How's work supervisor?"

The four scientists who were already sitting on the table greeted her with grins. She grinned back and took her seat with them.

"Work's fine. Nothing to be worried about."

A female scientist nodded. "What are you working on anyway, supervisor? Research?"

"Yes, some research about akuma. Just something to report to the Central."

Her table companions began murmuring with each other.

"Wow." A male remarked. "You have it hard supervisor. We didn't know it's that difficult to be in your position."

The others nodded.

"Yeah, he's right."

"Let us know if you needed help!"

Shandez smiled before taking her sandwich. "Thank you guys!"

Mona arrived shortly after she took a few bites from her sandwich. She was about to leave for her office after drinking the medicine tablet, but the scientists insisted that she stay longer and chat with them. Since her secretary was again pushing her to rest, she complied and chatted with them. They talked for almost half an hour before she bid her goodbye and returned to her office.

"I didn't know we have such cheery scientists here…"

She remarked with amusement before sitting in her ever reliable office chair and diverted her eyes to the computer screen. A notification was in the middle of the screen, telling her that the file download was already 43 percent complete. She sighed and slumped on her chair. She might as well take a nap.

-/-/-

-/-/-

It was already deep into the night when she read almost half of the files downloaded from the Australian Branch. She had to admit, she kind of enjoyed reading about the fantasies and fictions people made about sorcerers. She saw detailed articles about Merlin and even some about the demon Lilith. But as much as she enjoyed reading, she had to focus on more serious and deep articles that were related to what was currently happening. She continued to read the remaining files until it was already 2:00 in the morning. By that time, there were only a dozen files left. She wished something about the mystery woman was among the remaining ones.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

She jerked at the sudden noise from her door and frowned in wonder. Who would be knocking on her door at such an unholy time? There were a few moments of silence before a couple of knocks disturbed her silence again, together with a voice.

"Supervisor, I'm one of the scientists you talked with earlier. I just wanted to discuss something with you."

Shandez blinked for awhile before she finally remembered the four cheery scientists. She wondered why the person chose to speak with her in such a time, but still gave her approval for the person to enter. A cheery "thank you" was heard before the door was finally opened and in came a female clad in a white lab coat.

The doctor recognized the scientist as the female who sat beside her.

"You're Maria right?"

Maria smiled, a hand still on the doorknob. "Yes. I'm glad you remembered."

"So..." Shandez noticed that her visitor locked the doorknob. Her eyes narrowed.

"What is your reason for coming here? Is something the matter?"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong supervisor." Maria answered with the smile remaining on her lips.

Her bangs covered her eyes. "That is, if you cooperate willingly."

A dreaded feeling started rising at the pit of Shandez' stomach. She cautiously turned her computer off. She watched in slight fright as Maria's skin turned gray.

"W-Who really are you?"

Maria was gone in a moment as her body transformed into someone different. Black hair replaced blonde and neon yellow orbs replaced brown ones as the smile dropped from her face. Shandez widened her eyes at the new appearance of the person in front of her.

"Y-You're…"

Heloise didn't say anything as she brushed some of her locks from her shoulder.

"I need you to come with me, _supervisor_."

Shandez tried to calm down as she stared at Heloise's new form. She gulped while she enumerated the obvious details shown in front of her. Gray skin, yellow eyes, and the stigmata on the forehead…there's no doubt, a Noah had shown itself in front of her. But how in the world did that happen? All the Noahs were defeated and killed during the war! How did Heloise Rutherford become a Noah?

She managed a small smirk as she reached inside her pocket, grasping the pen and taking off the cap. She pressed a finger on the tip until she wounded herself and blood dripped from the cut.

"So you finally showed yourself. Tell me, who is this _woman_ the akumas so fondly talk about?"

Heloise started taking steps towards her. "You'll find out soon enough."

Shandez didn't move away as she cautiously placed her bloodied finger at the side of her desk.

"Whatever your reason for wanting me, I will NEVER side with you. I will die before that happens!"

The actress was already towering above her after she released that statement. Heloise's eyes flashed in malice, causing a shiver to run down her spine. Without further ado, the Noah reached out and grabbed her arm in a death grip. She cried in pain and tried to jerk her arm away but there was no use.

"Dammit."

No words were said as a black aura surrounded them. Shandez felt her eyes drop and soon she was already asleep.

"Good job Heloise! I'm here to pick you up."

A door appeared beside her. It opened to reveal Dan who was grinning in glee. Heloise nodded and stepped inside the door. It disappeared after it was closed, leaving no traces of the infiltration.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"General Walker!"

Allen shot up from his bed when he heard loud knocks on his door and a desperate voice calling his name. He grabbed his exorcist coat and opened the door after wearing it. Mona was there, sweat trickling down her forehead in anxiety. Allen looked down at her in alarm.

"What is it?"

"Something happened to the supervisor!"

Allen froze. "What?"

"I kept knocking on her door but no one was answering!" Mona answered with worry. "Her office was locked so I just opened it with a spare key, but then…!"

"Then what?"

"She's not there anymore!"

Allen didn't waste any more time and quickly rushed to the office with Mona just close behind. They rushed to the room as quiet as they can so as not to disturb the still sleeping inhabitants of the branch. He paused for a moment when he arrived at the said room and looked at all four corners before stepping in.

He narrowed his eyebrows as he roamed his eyes around, taking note that nothing was changed with the way the things were arranged. But there was no sign of the supervisor.

"General, look at this."

Mona quickly went to the desk located near the window, her eyes telling him to look at something that she was pointing. He went beside her and looked at where she wanted him to look. His eyes widened at what he saw.

At the side of the desk, written with red, dried-up blood, was a peculiar message:

**H.E. R.D. 12N**

"What's this?"

Allen didn't take his eyes off the written letters and numbers as he awaited the secretary's answer. Mona gulped and stared at the message too.

"It must be a code." She muttered lowly. "The supervisor must have left it to help us locate her."

The exorcist nodded before diverting his gaze to the female beside him. Mona froze with the expressions present in the General's eyes. Though not obvious from his face, his eyes were very cold and full of anger. His eyes forced her to remember that the man in front of her was the same man who fought and killed the Earl one on one. His eyes were a sign that he shouldn't be angered.

"Mona," he began to speak. "I'll need your help. We'll definitely find the supervisor."

Mona stared at him a little more before nodding seriously.

"I'll do whatever I can."

* * *

**AN:** After ALMOST A MONTH of silence, I finally updated! XD…I'm very sorry (yet again) that it took so long and as usual, it's all about school, school, and school. But don't worry! I'm already on vacation now so expect faster updates for the next two weeks! And about finishing this story before the year ends….I'll do my best to accomplish this. I didn't really expect that it will take this long for me to post so I had the confidence to say that last time. But I'm really set into finishing this before 2009!

Anyway, for those of you who asked about the other generals: I didn't really plan on including them in this story. That's why there's no sign of them or whatsoever…XD But there's a big chance my head's gonna screw up so one or two generals may make their appearance in the near future. Then about Heloise being a Noah: umm, I didn't expect some of you might actually be disturbed with it so for that, I offer my sincerest apologies.

Once again, I'm thanking the following people for taking the time to review:

**addenza**

**Sakra-chan**

**MarinaMartin**

**signrain**

**yuenying848**

**KyuuinShinkei**

**cy-kun**

**kaillinne arami**

**RyoMoonFang**

**Haunting Shadow**

**Gagagaagaga** (no time to think of a pen name? XD Thanks anyway!)

**Ashka-chan**

**Chiaki Saruwatari**

**Moon Of Jupiter** (we might be telepathic sisters you know ;)]

**myrthill** (thanks for your honest opinion^^)

**InfinityOnTheRun**

**HarunoRin**

Love you guys! I hope Santa will give you presents this year!

And Merry Christmas to all of you who read, reviewed, and will review this fic! See you next chap!


	15. The Introduction

Standard Disclaimer Applied.

* * *

When Shandez opened her eyes, she didn't quite remember what had happened that led her to her current state. But upon seeing the woman with long dark hair standing across her, the scenes from hours ago flashed in her mind.

"So you're finally awake, supervisor."

Heloise slowly approached their captive without much of an expression on her face. Shandez struggled to sit from her previous lying position.

"Don't call me supervisor!" she spat as she massaged her aching forehead. "What do you want from me?"

The actress wasn't fazed. "Your questions will be answered soon. For now, just try to stay put."

Shandez didn't have a chance to retort since Heloise suddenly disappeared with a heart-shaped door after she entered it. She snorted when she remembered the actress' last statement to her.

"Stay put huh? How can I stay put in this situation?"

She sighed after calming herself down for a few moments. She roamed her eyes around the room she was currently in and tried to analyze her possible escape routes. The room was a spacious one, with a sophisticated spade-patterned wall paper and polished marbled floors. There were a few pieces of furniture like matching wooden Victorian chairs and table, and a small bed placed at one side of the room. Unfortunately, there were no windows and even a door.

She cursed. "Damn. What kind of place is this?"

Despite her growing difficulty to breathe, Shandez still moved around and started tapping the walls around her, trying to figure out if the walls were thin enough for her to break or get out.

She was too much focused in what she was doing that she didn't notice the person who entered the room from the same heart-shaped door and began watching her in slight amusement.

"Whatever you do, you can't get out of here unless we allow you to."

Shandez gasped and jumped away from where she was. She narrowed her eyes upon seeing red-haired young man with a stick of cigarette stuck in between his lips.

"W-Who are you?"

Xig took out the cigarette. "The name's Xig." He threw it behind him.

"Whatever you do, you can't escape from here."

Shandez narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Xig shrugged and snapped his fingers. There was nothing for a few seconds until Shandez heard the sound of cracking concrete. Before she knew what that was, the walls around her began crumbling in a fast pace. She gasped and was forced to stick closer to Xig who was standing calmly at the middle of the room. Everything in the room completely crumbled.

A few moments passed and the once locked room was replaced with an eerie negative space of spectral colors. Shandez squinted her eyes in slight pain. The colors were too bright for their own good. But where the heck was she now?

"This is what I meant." Xig muttered after lighting another cigarette.

"You're in a different dimension. So even if you did escape that room, you're still trapped."

"What….that can't be…" the doctor arranged her glasses nervously. She gritted her teeth.

"What do you really want from me?"

A gush of wind.

"We need your knowledge, dear."

Shandez froze at the new voice and slowly looked behind her. Standing a few feet away from her was a beautiful woman wearing extravagant clothes with a white cat resting on her shoulders. Xig bowed upon seeing her while Shandez stared at the newcomer questioningly.

"You shouldn't have come, Boss. I can take of this."

Edea smiled. "I know you can. But it's improper not to greet our guest right?"

Her green eyes diverted to their captive. "Shandez-san, it's nice of you to come."

Shandez was increasingly becoming confused by the moment. But with the way the man called Xig had addressed the woman, she can guess what role the woman had in her predicament. And with that guess, a very dreaded feeling began to quickly rise in her stomach together with the sudden constricting of her chest and her difficulty to breathe. The atmosphere was becoming more tense and dark by the minute ever since the "Boss" appeared. Could that woman be the one they're desperately trying to find? The culprit behind the appearances of the akuma?

Edea giggled as she watched the doctor's face shift from nervousness to fright. It was so much amusing for her that she stooped down and grabbed Shandez' chin by her long fingers and stared at her face. Shandez just sat there and didn't move, afraid that if she even dared to lift a finger the woman might do much worse. When Edea finally got enough, she shifted her hand and instead caressed the doctor's cheek.

"I apologize for spacing out." She muttered. "Your frightened face was just so cute!"

Shandez didn't reply for a second. She was still frightened, but she needed to know. She _had_ to know.

"A-Are you…"

Edea's eyes flashed.

"Am I…?"

Shandez gulped. "Are you…Are you the one who makes akuma?"

There was silence after her question but the tension kept increasing. Shandez' eyes never left the face of the woman in front of her, not even when the woman's smile turned from gentle to sadistically evil. She shivered with the change of expression in the other female's face.

"You can call me Edea." She said with glee before running one finger nail along the doctor's cheek. A cut appeared from where she ran her finger along, making Shandez wince. Edea smirked.

"And yes. I am the one."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"What now Mona-san? I already told them that the supervisor left for a meeting at the Central."

"Thank you General. But right now, I had no idea what this code means."

"Tch. We have to find out fast."

Mona sighed and stared at the computer screen in increasing agitation. It's been about two and a half hours since they found Shandez' office empty. The only clue left was a bloodied message at the side of her desk, spelling out a code "H.E R.D 12N".

Despite the imprudence in the situation, she still inwardly praised the doctor for the message she managed to leave before disappearing without a trace. She had always admired Shandez for her calmness and quick mind regardless of the situation, and she was glad about it. However, placing those aside, she was also kind of frustrated with the message. The supervisor might be wise to leave them with a clue, but why did it have to be a code?

"Is it really that hard to crack, Mona-san?"

On top of that, the General was obviously running out of patience now. From what she had observed, he was dying to rush out and save the doctor as soon as possible. But he also knew that just rushing out wouldn't do any good. He didn't like just standing there also, so kept him busy by asking him to search the room for more clues and tell the already suspicious scientists an excuse that their branch head was out for a meeting.

But that was thirty minutes ago, and as much as Mona tried to think otherwise, it was obvious that they were not making any progress at all.

"I'm sorry General." She stated tiredly. "It would have been easier if she left an additional message, but given the hurried manner the code was written, we have to rely with this."

Allen didn't say anything for a moment and hovered over the busy secretary, eyes fixated at the piece of paper beside the computer. The code was rewritten there awhile ago by Mona.

"You mean to say…" he spoke with slight uncertainty. "The code's too general and not specific enough?"

Mona nodded. "Yes. There could be a million things this code can imply. It could be a name, a place…possibly anything. If only we can narrow our choices."

There's silence between them after that, with only the sounds of fingers crossing over the keyboard breaking the peace in the room. Suddenly, Allen decided to speak again.

"I think it's a name."

Mona stopped typing and slowly turned her head to face the nervous general. She narrowed her eyes.

"How so?"

Allen sweated a bit. "Well…H.E R.D sounded like initials of a name. I don't have any idea about 12N though…"

Mona stared at the exorcist more until Allen decided to break the tension.

"It's just a gut feeling! You don't have to listen. Please just continue."

The secretary wasn't fazed with how he shrugged it off, making him more nervous. '_I shouldn't have said that.'_ He was about to excuse himself when Mona reached out and grabbed his arm, preventing him to go away. She smiled at him and minimized the files shown in the computer screen.

"We'll try with the names then."

She opened new files from the computer's database while Allen stared at her in surprise. He diverted his gaze to the computer screen and watched her fast fingers type on the keyboard.

"Are you sure Mona-san?"

Mona shrugged and opened another window. "It's not wrong to try. Besides, you had a point there. It definitely looked like a name initial."

Neither said anything after that. Mona was opening and closing different windows from the computer while Allen just watched in both confusion and amazement. He might not have any knowledge with computers, but it looked like the secretary was finally having a direction in their search. He smiled a bit. He was glad he had managed to help even a little.

Since their database didn't have any information on names, Mona was forced to hack the database of the government to acquire the complete list of names in the whole city. Allen was quite shocked that she resorted to such method but didn't say anything. After all, they were in a desperate scenario already. If invading into confidential information can greatly help them, then they had no choice.

The file transfer of course required a download so they were forced to wait until it was finished. The secretary leaned her back on the chair and started massaging her temples. _'So this is what the supervisor does for the past few days…'_ She can't imagine how her superior managed to survive everyday with the kind of work she was doing.

A question suddenly popped in her mind and she slowly glanced at the exorcist who was sitting at the chair beside her.

"General Walker…"

"Yes?"

"Do you think…akumas were involved with the supervisor's disappearance?"

Allen froze. That was what he was thinking ever since Mona informed him of the doctor's disappearance. But akuma wasn't exactly what was on his mind. If it was an akuma, his left eye should have been activated. But since he was fast asleep during that time, it meant that it was a different culprit. That's the primary reason why he suggested that the code might mean that it was a name. He had a very strong feeling that a person was involved with Shandez' kidnapping.

He can only think of one possible person.

"General?"

Allen blinked then apologized when he realized he was spacing out too much.

"I don't think it's an akuma. I would have been able to prevent it if it was."

Mona thought for a moment then remembered his left eye.

"Of course. But if it's not an akuma, then who?"

The secretary stared at the General as if expecting an answer. With the way he was avoiding her eyes, he obviously had an idea. But he was avoiding her gaze, which only meant one thing…it was a classified information.

She sat up straight and grabbed the white-haired male's hands tightly. Allen stared at her in surprise.

"General!" she narrowed her eyes. "Please tell me! I won't let myself be naïve with what was happening! The supervisor had her share of burden, and now that something had happened, I want to have a share of the burden too!"

They stared at each other in a tense silence. Allen contemplated if he should tell her or not. It was not for him to decide if he should tell her, but with what they were doing to locate the supervisor, Mona would eventually know sooner or later. It might also help her search faster if she knew about the mystery woman.

He closed his eyes for a second as if trying to plan out what he was going to say. When he's ready, he opened his orbs and nodded at the woman in front of him.

"Alright, I'll tell you."

The exorcist relayed what he knew to the listening secretary. It took him about five minutes to explain that there was a woman behind the appearance of the akuma. He also told her he had a hunch that the woman might also be behind Shandez' disappearance.

Mona was not as surprised as what Allen had expected. But that might be better for the both of them. They needed to concentrate on what they were currently doing. They mustn't let their emotions get the better of them.

Half an hour after their talk, the download finally finished. Mona quickly opened the file and typed the letter "H" first. The search indicated over a million results. She sighed.

"Wow." Allen muttered with a sweat drop. "So many people…"

"I'll try to narrow the search." Mona remarked then glanced at the piece of paper.

'_H.E R.D 12N…'_ She analyzed the possibilities of the code. Since they're talking about name initials, she omitted the "12N" first so as to focus on the first part of the message.

**H.E R.D**

She enumerated the properties of the code. First, all of them were in uppercase. Second, there were dots in between the first and second then the third and fourth letters. Lastly, there's a space between "E" and "R".

'_The space can mean separation. In other words, H.E and R.D are different words.' _She then further analyzed what she can find out with the separation. _'If it's really a name initial, the space might mean that the first part is the first name and the second part is the last name.'_ Convinced with her thoughts, she added the letter "R" in her search. The results were cut down in half.

She sighed in relief. She managed to subtract a considerable amount of names from the list, but it's not enough. She had to narrow it more. She returned to her previous thoughts and decided to consider the dots and the other two letters.

_'Dots in name initials followed by another letter mean another name, but that doesn't seem right in this code…' _She looked at the list of names. _'…also, two first names are plausible but two last names doesn't make any sense.'_ She narrowed her eyes. _'Could it be that E and D actually mean another letter from the first and last name?'_

Mona was happy at her discovery for a moment, but lost her hype when she saw a seemingly larger problem. There's a very high chance that the remaining letters were part of the first and last name, but what was their position? Were they the second letter in the name? The third? Or the last? Again, the possibilities branched out into many roads. She can't possibly get the correct name with her current progress. She must have more information. And then she remembered.

**12N**

She gulped. That definitely had to do something that can help her narrow the results. But what did it mean? What was the connection of 12 to the letter N? She glanced at the exorcist beside her who blinked in surprise at her sudden stare. She pleaded him.

"You sure you don't have any idea about the 12N?"

Allen shook his head. "Sorry, but I really have no idea."

Mona sighed and slumped on the office chair.

"This is it General Walker. If we don't find out what 12N means, we'll never crack the code."

Allen unconsciously gulped as he narrowed his brows. There has to be something in that 12N. They had to find out just like Mona said, especially since Shandez might have been dying as each second passed.

"How about…" the exorcist cautiously glanced at the secretary. "How about you search the news about something related to 12N?"

Just like earlier, Mona stared up at him again.

"You're right." She remarked after a moment of considering. "It might be something the person did or owned….something that has a strong connection to the person."

She grinned. "You're really good at this General."

Allen sweatdropped. "I'm just saying whatever's popping in my mind."

Typing sounds disturbed the silence again and soon, another search result was shown in front of the screen. She had typed the number 12 first, followed by the initials. She frowned at the results. It mostly showed time and address with the number 12, and the initials didn't make any sense.

"Why don't you add the N, Mona-san?"

The secretary nodded. "I'm about to do it."

She typed the letter N beside the number 12 and clicked the search button. That's when both of them gasped and leaned further to the computer. The search only revealed a dozen results.

The two glanced at each other as if asking for affirmation then returned to the computer screen. Mona carefully read each headline, crossing out the ones that didn't have any connections with names. After reading all the headlines, they were left with five.

Mona narrowed her eyes. She read the whole news to contemplate whether they should include it in their choices or not. She crossed one out because it was about a murder case that occurred 12 in the midnight – with the letter n bolded by the search engine. The second was an advertisement for a house sale. The initials fitted the seller's name, but the whole article was far out from their situation. Besides, the date of the advertisement was a year ago. The seller must be in another part of the world already. The third and fourth articles were archives about famous inventors from long ago. With the four articles eliminated, they were finally left with one.

**Twelfth Night Garners Success with Rising Stage Actress!**

It was what the headline read to them when they laid eyes on it. The capital N in the word night was bolded, but there was no sign of 12. The initials however, did fit the name of the main actress of the play:

_**He**_lois_**e**_ _**R**_utherfor_**d**_

The letter "e" could be the second or last letter of her first name. But judging with how the initials fitted her last name, the "e" must imply the last letter of "Heloise".

But how about the number 12?

That's when Mona used her creativity. 12N was linked together as one in the code. It meant that the two were always together and can never be separated. Only one phrase in the article fitted that part of the code: Twelfth Night.

The number 12 must be the abbreviation for the word Twelfth followed with the letter N which signified the word night. Since "night" was capitalized, it should be the one. Mona faced the general beside her.

"This is it General Walker." She pointed at the words Twelfth Night and Heloise Rutherford.

"I don't know what her connection with the supervisor is, but she's the only one who fitted the code."

Allen leaned and read the article about the play Twelfth Night. His eyes narrowed when it included that Heloise Rutherford was chosen for the role of Les Miserables when the original actress was murdered. It also stated that Heloise's cousin recently died from cancer. Other information was included in the article, but he didn't need to find out more.

"Mona-san," he stood up from his seat. "Please look up when's the next showing for Les Miserables."

The secretary nodded and quickly typed on the keyboard again. A couple of minutes passed, she faced the general with a serious face.

"There's one tonight, 6:30 pm, at the Brazilian Theatre of the Arts."

Allen nodded and arranged his coat. He looked at his silver watch and calculated the time he would be consuming before arriving at the theatre. The theatre was located about an hour and a half's travel by train. He would have to leave now if he wanted to arrive there in time to watch the play.

"I'll be going now Mona-san." He stated as he smiled at her. "Thank you very much for your help."

Mona shook her head. "No. Thank _you_. Please save the supervisor, general!"

"Don't worry." He answered as he walked towards the door. "I'll definitely rescue her.

He was about to twist the doorknob open when he remembered something. He turned his head sideways and faced the secretary.

"If by tomorrow night I'm still not here with Shandez-san, please contact the Main Headquarters and inform Supervisor Komui Lee."

Mona nodded at what she was requested to do. Allen smiled once again and finally opened the door, leaving the secretary to wish for his and Shandez' safety.

-/-/-

-/-/-

The trip to the Brazilian capital was long and tedious that Allen tried hard to prevent himself from using faster means like his innocence. The last thing he wanted was the picture of him swaying in the air with Crown Belt in tomorrow's front page.

It also didn't help that he arrived there about 30 minutes before the play started. He was stopped by the theatre staff before he could enter, saying that he was not in the right attire to enter the theatre and that his "kind" is not allowed in formal events meant for the rich such as the play. He groaned at that in impatience and stormed out of the place, marched into the nearest men's boutique, and bought the first tuxedo he saw.

He quickly went to the fitting room and wore the black garment in a hurry. He paused after that, however, and inspected his appearance to make some adjustments. When he thought he was ready though, he took note that the guards might recognize him so he decided to change his hairstyle to have a bit of a disguise. He requested a gel and a thin black ribbon from a salesman and took a fair amount of gel to his palm. With smooth hand moves, he ran his fingers through his hair and arranged the strands to the side. He nodded when his new bangs managed to hide his pentacle well. After that, he took the ribbon and tied his hair into a low ponytail so as not to make it messy.

When he decided he's finally ready, he went out of the boutique and straight to the theatre. The clock told him it would only be a few minutes before the play starts so he walked straight in without stopping. As expected, the guards willingly let him in without any question, although they did notice that he looked like the "peasant" that dared step into their grand theatre earlier. He can only smile at them after he heard their remark. After buying a ticket, he went to the auditorium and quickly tried to find a seat. Some ladies who noticed him had giggled and offered a seat with them. He would have accepted their invitation, but the glares from the men who were with them had prevented him from doing so. In the end, he had found a place beside an old man who was kind enough to let him have the extra seat.

Soon, the theatre darkened and lights from the stage were lit. Music started to play and in came the actors and actress in the first scene. He had asked the old man beside him after a few Acts when Heloise will be making her appearance. The old man had glared slightly at his disturbance then pointed to a lovely woman with long black hair and deep blue eyes. He thanked the old man then narrowed his eyes at the actress.

The play lasted for two and a half hours. But in all those long hours, he did nothing but keep a close eye at Heloise Rutherford and the whole theatre. He was cautious that some akuma might be lurking in the place. But since his left eye wasn't reacting, he had relaxed a bit and only focused his attention on the actress.

One hour before midnight…

"Cheers!"

Les Miserables had indeed become successful with its first showing. They were surprised that they actually got a full house and had garnered a standing ovation from the audience after the show. The whole cast knew that they owed their success to their female lead, Heloise Rutherford. If it wasn't for her marvelous performance and her connections with the powerful Duchess Edea, they wouldn't have been that successful.

"You're going home already Heloise?"

Heloise smiled in apology when the whole cast looked at her in disappointment.

"Sorry guys, but Duchess Edea wanted me to celebrate with her so…"

"Oh! Then go ahead! It was also thanks to her anyway that we have a full house."

"Yeah! Don't keep her waiting!"

The actress smiled more. "Thank you! See you on Wednesday!"

Her co-actors and actresses cheered her on as she exited the backstage. She maintained a smile after that. She was so happy! Finally, she played the role every stage actress had been dreaming about! She was finally Cosette! _'And I will eternally thank Edea-sama for this…' _

Yes. If it wasn't for the Duchess, she wouldn't have the power to rise high in the ranks of theatre plays. It was also because of Edea that her cousin achieved eternal peace. Duchess Edea had indeed been very gracious to her.

She stopped in her tracks suddenly as her eyes narrowed in alert. She turned around and placed a hand on her hip, eyes glaring at the big tree a few meters away from her.

"Show yourself."

There was no answer for a moment until there was shuffling and out came a young man wearing a tuxedo. Heloise further narrowed her eyes at him. She can't see his face since he was standing far from the light post.

"Why are you following me?"

The man smiled and bowed at her. "I apologize."

"Are you a fan? Look, autograph signing is tomorrow so please –

"Actually, that's not the reason why I'm here, Ms. Rutherford."

The man took a few steps forward until he reached the light. Snow white hair and gray eyes revealed themselves when he stopped walking. The man smiled again.

"I'm here to take back a friend of mine."

Heloise raised a fine eyebrow then sighed. She turned around then prepared to walk out.

"I don't know what you're talking about –

Allen glared. "Give back Dr. Shandez Baker."

The actress stopped in her step but didn't turn around to face him. She glanced at her side from the corner of her eyes, her orbs flashing as if signaling something.

"You're annoying me already." She muttered while glancing sideways at him. "Goodnight."

She took a step forward. Allen was about to run and stop her when his left eye turned crimson and the pentacle extended to his cheek and neck. His cursed eye had been activated. He stopped in his tracks and looked at his surroundings, silently thanking that he and Heloise were the only ones there as he tried to figure out where the akuma was. Just like what he had expected, a level-one appeared, blocking Heloise from his sight. He gritted his teeth and activated his innocence.

"Get the hell out of my way!"

A Cross Grave was released from his claw, causing an explosion from the contact. The akuma was instantly dead and didn't leave any traces from the explosion. Heloise froze and jerked around to see what happened. She widened her eyes when she saw the white cloak and the black claw of the male in front of her.

"You're an exorcist?"

Allen smirked. Sparks started to appear on his left arm.

"Yes, I'm an exorcist. And you have some explaining to do."

Using his right hand, he grabbed his left arm and pulled it. The sleeve of his tuxedo was torn from the sparks and the transformation his left arm had went through. The limb was gone in a moment, replaced by the large sword held by his right hand.

"Tell me," he stated lowly. "What's your connection with the akuma just now?"

Heloise heard his question but she failed to answer. She was too caught up with what she saw, with what Allen was holding with his human hand. '_That sword…'_

Suddenly flashes of different scenarios appeared in her mind. A red-haired teen with an eyepatch… a girl with short teal hair… thousands of akuma corpses…a fat man wearing an English hat…

Ba-dump.

A toothy grin.

"_Don't let him escape Lulu Bell."_

Ba-dump.

"_I'm sorry…"_

Ba-dump.

The sword.

"_Goodnight, Noah."_

Allen lowered his weapon when the actress started screaming as she held her head in desperation. Her dark blue eyes were wide with pain and tears flowing on her cheeks. He watched her in confusion, but maintained his fighting stance just in case.

The screaming continued for the next minute while the exorcist also continued to watch. He was contemplating whether to see what's wrong with the actress, or remain in his position. But before he can even make a decision, the screams stopped and the female's body became rigid. Dark aura surrounded her.

"I remember…" she whispered. Allen noticed her skin becoming gray. He widened his eyes.

"What –

"With that sword…" the seven stigmata appeared on her forehead. Her blue eyes turned feline yellow.

"You killed me…"

Allen was frozen with shock at what he witnessed. It was like a forgotten movie replayed in a very slow motion, as if it was mocking him. How long had it been since he last saw that transformation? That gray skin, the stigmata on the forehead, and those eyes…the sadistic smile on their lips. He unconsciously gripped his sword tighter.

"It can't be…"

Heloise ran a hand through her hair, her smile widening.

"Finally, me and this human are one."

Her eyes flashed at the sight of the exorcist in front of her.

"Surprised?"

Allen managed to get out of his trance and stared at the actress in half anger and half confusion. He can't be mistaken. The gray skin was enough to convince him that Heloise Rutherford was not a normal human, then she continued with her transformation and even showed the stigmata and the yellow eyes. There's only one explanation for what he witnessed.

"You…" he composed himself and raised his sword, pointing it towards her.

"Who really are you?"

Heloise smirked at his question.

"I'm insulted Allen Walker. I didn't think you'd forget me that easily."

She smirked more. "But don't worry, I'll make you remember."

Allen smirked back and resumed to his fighting stance, indicating that he had accepted her challenge. First akumas, then Shandez' kidnapping, and now this? Without further ado, he and Heloise simultaneously rushed to land the first attack.

* * *

**AN: **Just as I promised, I posted this much earlier than before! It's all thanks to my Christmas vacation and to my brother who was kind enough to go away from the computer and work his ass off on his psp! XD - sighs – I do love this freedom…no homework, no terror teachers, no deathly math equations…it's too good to be true!

Ok, enough with the sentimentalities! Once again, I want to thank the super awesome people who reviewed:

**signrain** (Allen as the 14th noah? Hmm…I'll think about it ;)]

**KyuuinShinkei** (Thank you so much!)

**yuenying848** (Well, let's see if I could write more, but anyway thank you!)

**InfinityOnTheRun **(Yeah, I like to think Allen as a serious person too…and thank you once again!)

**RyoMoonFang** (You guessed right!^^)

**addenza** (And this chapter answers your questions about the code! Merry Christmas!)

**Ashka-chan** (Thank you!)

I just noticed, this fic's becoming more of an action story….argh! But I can't write action well! XD Please be patient! It won't be long before Allen returns! Oh, and sorry for any mistakes! I'm not quite myself today and…well…I'm not sure if what I considered correct was really correct…XD

Again, expect the next update in the next few days! Peace be with you people!


	16. The Noah

Standard Disclaimer Applied.

* * *

"Being rusty now, _general_?"

"Shut up. I'm not done yet."

Allen didn't know how long he and his opponent had been exchanging blows since they met. Initially, he had no plans to linger there and had only wanted to force the information on Shandez' whereabouts from Heloise Rutherford. However, the unexpected turn of events such as the actress' seemingly transformation into a Noah had disrupted his plans. If he can't stop her now and get the information out from her, he won't be able to rescue the supervisor in time.

"Are you tired of level two's? How about a level three?"

Apparently, the one and only thing that's keeping him from capturing her was her continuous snapping of her fingers, which in turn commanded akumas to appear out of nowhere and attack. So far, he had been eliminating at least three dozens of mixed level two and level one akumas without any breaks. And even if he was a lot more powerful than how he was years ago, he could still be quite exhausted with his continuous use of his innocence.

"Tch."

He slashed the last level two in front of him then dashed in a blink of an eye to Heloise. He activated Crown Belt and reached out to twist her wrist, stopping her from snapping her fingers again.

"Why don't you stop that and fight with me seriously?"

Heloise wasn't fazed with the glare fixated on the exorcist's face. Using her other hand, she slashed the white cloth with the help of her nails. She jumped a few meters away from him.

"It seems you still don't remember me…after all, I'm mostly the only one in the clan who doesn't fight directly. You should've remembered right away. Then again, my appearance is different so I can't blame you."

Allen resumed in a fighting position. "Enough beating the bush. Who are you really? How did you become a Noah?"

The actress shrugged. "Why don't you find out for yourself?"

No time was wasted. Allen charged again and tried to slash her in the front, she managed to dodge just in time but was not fast enough to see that the exorcist had gone to her back and was already in position to land an attack.

"Edge End!"

He widened his eyes when there was a splashing sound the moment his sword landed on her. He jumped back to his previous position and focused his eyes on the enemy.

His orbs narrowed when Heloise was nowhere in sight, then his eyes moved downwards to the ground where a puddle of water mysteriously appeared in place of the actress.

'_Water?'_ he looked at his sides from the corner of his eyes. _'Where did that come from?'_

"Good. I'm starting to feel comfortable now."

The exorcist instinctively looked around when Heloise's voice resounded to his ears. He was about to demand her to show herself when the water puddle began moving on its own and formed a big blob in front of him. Allen watched in surprise.

"What –

"It's the power of transformation Allen Walker. You shouldn't be too surprised."

The blob slowly formed into a figure of a woman then it hardened as if it became a crystal. Nothing happened for a few seconds until the crystal cracked and exploded. Allen raised his arms to shield himself from the crystal pieces, some of it managed to tear his remaining sleeve. He lowered his arms after that and was even more surprised to see Heloise standing there as if she had been there all along.

"The power of transformation…" Allen muttered to himself as if analyzing. Heloise smirked.

"You still can't remember?"

Taking advantage of the white-haired male's moment of unawareness, she quickly moved and was behind him in an instant. Allen used his quick reflexes to turn around and step to the side, but Heloise jumped and placed her hands on top of his head. Her hands glowed black and slowly images from Allen's memories flooded her mind. The exorcist didn't let her find out further as he suddenly jerked to the side, forcing her to lose her grip. Allen took it as his chance and swung his sword at her, but she was nowhere to be found again.

'_Dammit.' _He cursed inwardly. _'She keeps on hiding!'_

He glanced at his sideways, hoping to catch her presence with his cursed eye. He sensed nothing for a few seconds until there was a light breeze and felt something moving behind him. He quickly turned around and raised his sword.

"Stop hiding – !

"Allen-kun…"

He restrained himself from swinging down his sword. His eyes widened as he stared at the person in front of him.

"L-Lenalee…?"

Right in front of his eyes was his fiancée, a slight blush was evident on her cheeks and her violet eyes were softened in concern.

Allen lowered his weapon. "How…?...Why are you here?"

Lenalee shifted glances and looked down. "I'm missing you terribly so…so I asked nii-san to take me to where you are." She lifted a hand and rested it on top of her swollen belly. She looked up to him.

"I want to see you Allen-kun!"

The general didn't say anything for a moment. He still can't believe his love was right there just a few inches away from him. She was so real to his eyes that for a moment he had a very strong desire to drop Crown Clown and pull her in a tight hug.

He smiled down at her. "I missed you too."

"Really?" Lenalee smiled back. "I'm so glad –

"But…"

The male's smile dropped. "You should stop now."

He raised his sword in a flash and swung it down hard. Lenalee jumped out from the sudden attack, landing a good distance adjacent to him from his right side. She smirked.

"Aww. You spoiled the fun! And it was so interesting…"

"Shut up." Allen spat out in venom. "How dare you play with her image."

The woman smirked more and dropped her act. The image of Lenalee melted away from the exorcist's eyes , revealing gray skin and malicious yellow orbs. It was Heloise.

She twirled a strand of her hair. "How did you find out?"

"It's impossible for her to come here." Allen said without dropping his glare. "I asked her to wait so I know she'll wait. She knows how important her safety is to me so she will never do something that can endanger her, such as coming here."

Heloise chuckled. "How touching! Such great love displayed by two individuals. I wish I can experience it too."

Allen didn't say anything. The actress gave him a lopsided smile.

"And she's pregnant! How cute. Soon, you'll be a father. Make me the godmother ok?"

"Stop it."

"But too bad, she's not here to join our fun. Is it because she's pregnant that she's left out in your mission?"

"I said stop it."

"I guess…" she smiled in deep malice. "That's what happens when a female is too reckless for her own good."

"SHUT UP!"

A sudden burst of power surged from Allen, his eyes narrowed and darkenedss in deep hatred. He charged at her in unbelievable speed.

"DO NOT INSULT LENALEE!"

Heloise didn't have time to react. The exorcist was suddenly so fast with an otherworldly aura surrounding him. Just feeling the immense power seeping from him was enough to freeze her in fright.

"EDGE END!"

She snapped out of her trance and immediately jumped to her back just as Allen released his attack. But she couldn't avoid it in time and was hit. A piercing scream resounded through the area.

Smoke filled the area after the devastating assault. Allen stayed cautious and concentrated on the silhouette among the smoke, waiting if she will suddenly attack him back. But her shadow only stayed in her position, although he can see there was an occasional staggering from how the shadow moved.

"You've really done it."

Wrath can be recognized from her sudden remark as the smoke cleared in the area. The exorcist adjusted his eyes so he can see his enemy more clearly. When the smoke was fully cleared, Heloise's figure was finally visible to his eyes. He prepared to charge again but stopped in his movements when he noticed something.

"What…the hell…"

His gray orbs snapped open in shock as he stared at the actress' face. Heloise smirked sadistically when she saw the general's reaction.

"Remember me now?"

Allen choked. "Lu…Lulu Bell…?"

Blood was dripping to the ground, but that was not important. There were no injuries on the actress' body, but her face…

Apparently, the impact from Edge End fell right on her face, damaging her face in half. But instead of her bloody flesh, another face was revealed from the ripped off skin. It was the face of an enemy of long ago, the face of one of the Noah Allen had slain with his own hands.

It was the face of Lulu Bell.

Allen prevented himself from shivering. Seeing the face of someone he knew he had killed had sent a spooky and nervous feeling throughout his body. Add the fact that the actress' state was so grotesque, being that half of her face was Heloise's while the other was Lulu Bell's. Blood was dripping from the division.

"Now that you remembered," The Noah's eyes widened further with more sadism. "You'll pay for what you did to my face!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Waah! What happened to her face?"

"Don't worry, Boss can restore it later."

"Hmm…how about if we peel the Heloise part instead?"

"That won't do, my dear. We still need the disguise after all."

Edea patted her daughter's soft hair in an affectionate manner as she smiled down at the little girl. When the girl smiled back, Edea returned her eyes to the television screens in front of her. They all showed the images of their Noah of Lust and the Destroyer of Time. They had been watching the battle from the very start via a mosquito-sized akuma used for surveillance purposes.

The Boss was practically smiling widely in joy because their newest member had finally awakened. She never had to explain everything to the actress as if the woman was a helpless child. In time, Heloise will be able to control her transformation and sending her to more dangerous missions will be less troublesome.

"Say Boss, I have a question."

Xig muttered out of blue, making Edea divert her gaze to the young man standing beside the sofa where she and Dan had been sitting. The older female nodded at her subordinate as if signifying him to continue.

"What is it Xig?"

The male cleared his throat as he stared at the battle happening on the screens.

"Why aren't we recruiting Allen Walker? He's the 14th right? The tables will certainly turn around if his side is with us."

Dan's face lit up at Xig's question as she nodded, she was wondering the same thing too. She looked up to her mother with sparkly eyes.

"Xig's right mother! Controlling the Ark will be so much easier if he's here!"

Edea didn't say anything as she gave each of the other two a glance before turning her eyes back to the white-haired man in the screens. Xig and Dan waited for their leader's answer in anticipation. After some moments of silence, Edea sighed but didn't look back at her companions.

"It's true that he will be an enormous help if he sides with us, especially since the fourteenth's memories and soul are inside him – which is also the main reason why I can't reawaken the fourteenth into a different body."

Xig thought for a moment. "But you just have to take the soul right? Even if the fourteenth's soul is currently sealed inside of him, you can free him from that bondage."

"I've also thought about it." Edea replied with a smile. "But the fourteenth is a very different person. He has his own plans and I don't want to risk it. If there is a course of action I'd like to take, it will be to eliminate him instead."

Dan pouted. "Aww, no way!"

"Hmm." The lone male seemed not fully convinced. "But there IS still a chance that he will follow us."

Edea didn't say anything as her subordinate smirked at her.

"You are the original master after all, Boss. He might change his mind if he finds out you're now awake."

Silence reigned while the two stared at each other. Dan kept glancing at them in anticipation but kept tugging on her mother's sleeve as if also trying to convince her. After a seemingly long period of about twenty seconds, Edea narrowed her eyes at Xig, causing the male to gulp and back away a little.

"W-Wait Boss! It's only a suggestion! You don't have to –

"You've become so cheeky, Xig."

A blink. Dan and Xig looked at her. "What?"

Edea stood up from her seat and crossed her arms at them.

"Alright. Let's meet General Walker and see if we can use him."

Dan suddenly jumped from the sofa and hugged the older woman while looking up at her.

"Really? We can play with him?"

"Of course, my dear. " Edea smiled. "You and Xig can play with him as much as you want. Do whatever you want with him."

She averted her eyes to the male. "Xig, since this is your idea, please tell Heloise to retreat for now and inform Allen Walker of our invitation."

"Yes, Boss." Xig bowed at her before standing up. Dan was cheering at the background.

"Finally! I can play with him!"

Edea giggled at her daughter. "I'm glad too. But do not kill him ok? I'll be the one to kill him if I find him useless."

"Of course, Boss."

"Ne, mama! How about that scientist?"

Edea was already walking towards one of the doors at the walls but stopped at the little girl's sudden inquiry. She turned around as she gave them a smile once more.

"I was about to go see her, dear. Want to come with me?"

"Yup!" Dan rushed at her while the leader glanced at the male again.

"Xig, please tell Heloise now. It won't be good if she continue fighting with the general."

The male nodded. "Understood."

Back at the on-going battle, Allen and Heloise had been exchanging blows after the surprising revelation from the actress. But the exorcist was already exhausted from fighting a herd of akuma and a mysterious Noah all in the same night. On top of that, his eyesight's becoming blurry by the moment and he suddenly felt dizzy.

Heloise noticed the change of movement patterns from her opponent and had let a smirk grace her lips. She picked up her speed, jumped and turned her leg into iron then pushed it down to kick the exorcist on the head. Allen barely managed to dodge it by shielding himself with his sword. Heloise wasn't fazed and jumped back away from him, the smirk still on her lips.

"Feeling the side effects now, general?"

Allen narrowed his brows. "Side-effects?"

"Yes, side-effects." The female muttered as-a-matter-of-factly. "I invaded your memories earlier remember? Your brain didn't expect that invasion so you're feeling dizzy. If I continued further that time, you might have been crazy already."

"But that's not enough to make me stop."

She gasped at the voice behind her and instinctively glanced sideways. She didn't have time to dodge when Allen released a kick to her side, sending her flying to the light post nearby.

"Ugh!"

A deep dent damaged the light post while Heloise staggered to her feet as she tried to stand. She placed a hand on her side as she stared at the exorcist in anger while trying to hide the pain she's feeling.

"Is this how you treat a lady?"

Allen smiled. "I'm only gentle to worthy women."

Heloise laughed at his response then finally stood straight after some effort. She let her hand leave her side and resumed fighting stance. Allen, who was at ease moments ago, also prepared for whatever she's going to do.

"So you're saying I'm not worthy?" she spat with a smirk. "Then you're really a fake gentleman."

She didn't let the exorcist answer. She immediately charged and morphed her arm into a sphere then thrust it to Allen's middle section. He dodged it with his sword then pushed the spear to the side. Heloise didn't give up and raised her leg to kick him; of course Allen managed to evade it in time. But the kick was really a distraction. As soon as he evaded it, Heloise immediately made a move and successfully stabbed the exorcist on the side.

Allen groaned from the sudden pain and quickly backed away from the actress, drops of blood dripping from his wound. He winced slightly as he silently thanked that his injury was not that deep for him to stop and retreat from the battle.

"Too bad, it's not deep enough to kill you." Heloise muttered with disappointment.

Allen managed to smirk. "I'm not that easy to kill."

The actress only shrugged at him and transformed her arm into a spear again. She was about to charge at the general when there was a spark inside her mind and a voice started calling out to her.

"_Heloise!"_

She stopped from her steps. _'Xig? What's the matter?'_

"_Boss wants you to stop and return here."_

'_What?'_ she glanced at Allen. _'How about the exorcist?'_

"_Boss wants him to come here, just tell him that and about the scientist too."_

'_I understand.'_

Allen had been wondering why the actress stopped in her tracks and had been staring into space for quite awhile now. He was about to use it to his advantage and attack, but Heloise suddenly sighed loudly and returned her arm into normal. Her eyes were narrowed in disappointment.

"This will be all for tonight, Allen Walker."

The exorcist raised a brow. "What? Don't tell me you're gonna leave without telling –

"If you want to save Shandez, you can come at the mansion located at the outskirts of this city. My master wants to see you too so please come."

"Your master?" Allen narrowed his eyes. "Is your master the one making akuma?"

Heloise didn't speak for a moment. "Your questions will be answered if you go there." She turned her back at him.

"I'll be going ahead, general. We will be waiting."

"Wait!"

Heloise disappeared before he can stop her. He scanned the area for a minute to see if there were some akumas lurking nearby. When he's sure it's safe, he released a tired sigh and deactivated Crown Clown. He sat on the sidewalk and clutched the still bleeding wound on his side. He would have to treat it before proceeding to the mansion specified by the actress.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"How are you feeling now, dear?"

Just opening her eyes had become a very difficult job for Shandez to do, especially after the torture she went through just a few hours ago. Heck, she didn't even know how she managed to stay alive after being beaten and stabbed to the wall. She was placed inside the hole-less room again where she had been forced to agree to what Edea wants. But of course, she didn't give in and as a result, her hands were nailed to the wall at both sides. She was lucky enough she wasn't hanging from the wall and was instead seated on the already blood-soaked bed. Yet judging from all the time she had been like that, it won't be long before she would die of blood-loss.

She slowly adjusted her sight and managed to groan when she saw the "mistress" and her sadistic daughter. She shivered upon seeing the little girl's amused grin on her face. Dan had been the one who took the "pleasure" of nailing her to the concrete earlier.

"The pain's unbearable." Shandez admitted in a weak voice "I don't think I can hang on much longer…"

Edea tilted her head to the side as if worried. "Oh my! The why don't you agree to what we want hmm? I'll immediately free you!"

"Yeah!" Dan added before licking her lips. "Or you want to be my toy more than being free?"

Shandez scoffed. "As if. You can kill me over and over again, but I won't do it."

Edea sighed as she massaged her temples in a fatigued manner. She shook her head and started to walk towards the bed, stopping when she felt the cold metal brush against the silky fabric of her dress. She leaned down to match the doctor's eye level.

"Do you know how I deal with lowly creatures like you?"

Shandez looked away, but Edea reached out and grabbed her jaw. She forced the doctor to look at her.

"Unlike the Earl, I have much more pity for you humans." The older woman started.

"Let's just say I have three strings of patience. These strings also represent your three chances to make the right choice. If you don't agree for the first time, you still have the second. However, it's only up to the third time. If you still refuse to do what I say, you will face the consequences."

Edea's eyes narrowed at her as she smiled. "You've wasted your first chance my dear, and this is what you get. Now, I'm asking you again…"

"Provide us with the vast knowledge you possess about my dear akumas."

"Hmph." Shandez smirked. "If you really want it so bad, why not turn me into a skull then? Just like what the Earl did to humans with compatible brains…"

Edea giggled. "I would love to do that. But you see, you are a special case. Skulls are very vulnerable and can be destroyed any second. And because I'll be needing you for a very long time, you'll have to obey me as you are."

"So you have to say yes now, ok?" she glanced at the red liquid dripping from the doctor's hands.

"Or else, more blood will be flowing."

Shandez prevented herself from shivering at how the noble stared at her with emotionless eyes voided with pure disgust and hunger for murder. It was so overwhelming that she can feel tears forming on her orbs. But she refused to show weakness in front of the enemy. It was the only thing she can do for the sake of the world.

"My answer…"

She smirked again. "…is NO!"

Edea didn't say anything while Shandez continued.

"Whatever you do, you will NEVER NEVER succeed! So what if you're the Earl's master? So what if you're the original creator of akuma? You will never defeat God! You and your petty minions are nothing compared to –

SLAP!

"Shut up you foul-mouthed human!"

Shandez winced in pain before Edea grabbed her head and slammed it hard against the wall. The impact caused her to feel heavily dizzy and limp that she almost fell unconscious. But Edea forced her to stay awake by slapping her again and grabbing her jaw roughly, her long nails digging into her skin.

"This is the second time, Shandez." Edea bellowed with seething teeth. "Remember, you only have one chance left!"

She released the scientist's head but slapped her once again before walking away from her and calling out the heart-shaped door. She glanced at her daughter who was staring at Shandez in a still amused manner.

"Teach her a lesson, my dear Diana." Edea muttered to the little girl with a smile. Dan's face lit up.

"Sure mom! Can I kill her now?"

"Not yet dear." Edea answered while Dan pouted.

"Alright. Then I'll just make her regret disobeying you."

The noble nodded before patting her daughter's head affectionately. She gave Shandez one final glance then stepped inside the door she called out. When the door closed, Dan's smirk widened then she approached the scientist while reaching out inside her pockets. She giggled upon watching the older female wince from the pain before she licked her cold lips.

"Now then," she whispered to Shandez with glee. "How about we continue our fun from last time?"

-/-/-

-/-/-

Allen sighed in relief as he made sure the bandages around his side were securely done and will not fall off by the time he'll do battle again. It had been at least 2 hours after his fight with Heloise and as soon as he had made sure no akuma were wandering around, he had rushed to the nearest clinic and asked for some clean bandages then changed into his exorcist coat. It was a good thing he always had the emergency medicine Lenalee gave him before he departed for his mission because if he hadn't, he would have been forced to spend the money he reserved for his food.

And since looking for a proper room to patch himself up will take more time, he decided he could just head to the park a few meters away from the clinic and bandage himself there. It was a bit troublesome for his part since those late-night lovers around him had been staring weirdly at him the whole time. He just ignored them though and managed to finish the bandage without any interruption. Although he had stopped once and wondered how those people didn't notice what happened between him and Heloise.

Upon finishing the adjustments on the knots, he reached out in his coat and took out the handy silver watch inside one of the pockets. He flipped it open and checked the time to see if he should call the South American Branch now or wait until it's waking hours already. However, since he was in a hurry, he decided to just try to call Mona. Then if she's not yet awake, then he will have to go to the mansion without informing her.

He went to one of the telephone booths located at the park and quickly dialed the numbers. Rings greeted his ears and he waited for someone to answer for at least a minute. He was about to hang up after more than a minute of waiting when the rings stopped and a familiar voice rang in his ears.

"_Who is this – _

"Mona!"

" – _gasp! – General Walker! How are you? Is the supervisor there already?"_

Allen sighed. "No, I still hadn't saved her yet. Something happened so I was delayed."

"_What happened?"_

"Mona, I need you to call Komui Lee right now and tell him that I discovered something."

He felt the anxiety from her voice.

"_Ok. I'm listening, general."_

"Tell him that Shandez-san had been kidnapped…" his eyes narrowed.

"…and a Noah is involved in it."

Another gasp. _"What?"_

"I don't know how it happened but I just encountered a Noah a few hours ago. She said their master wants to meet me so I'm going there now. Please tell Komui-san."

"_Oh my god…"_ Mona was obviously worried already. _"Are you going to be okay, general?"_

Allen smiled. "Don't worry Mona-san, I'll be fine. Just call Komui-san for now. I'll definitely save the supervisor."

"_Yes but…you said there's a Noah involved…and you're going to meet their master…are you sure you're really ok on your own?"_

Allen didn't answer right away.

"I'll tell you the truth Mona-san." He seriously muttered.

"I have a feeling I'll be engaging in a battle where the chances of victory might be slim. I'm alone after all and I don't know how to deal with the enemy yet. I might fail."

He heard Mona as she hitched her breath. _"Then – _

"But," the exorcist cut in. "There's also the chance that I will win. I will use that chance to save Shandez-san and stop whatever the enemy's planning. So please just do as I say and wait for us ok?"

Silence…

"_I trust you, General Walker. Please return here with the supervisor as soon as possible."_

A smile. "Thank you Mona-san. I'll be counting on you."

"_You're welcome. Please be careful."_

Allen sighed after he hanged up and finished his phone conversation with Mona Vasquez. He did tell the secretary not to worry and just wait for him, but the truth was just like he told her. If he was to meet and fight the enemy head-on, the chances for him to emerge as victorious would be nil. After having to fight Heloise earlier, he had concluded that the Noah was much more different than the previous one he had fought with during the war…although Heloise had the face of Lulubell. But the point was, there were definitely changes in her and how she fought. Also, because Lulubell made an appearance, it's highly possible that the other Noah were being revived as well.

"I think I won't be able to make it…"

He smiled bitterly upon remembering that it would be only a matter of weeks before Lenalee will give birth. He can vividly remember the promise he told her before he left, the impending tears in her eyes as she nodded at him and said she would faithfully wait for his return. He had told her he would come back before her labor and he was pretty confident he would be able to keep his promise during the first months of his mission. But now that another set of obstacles had placed itself in front of him, it seemed that he wouldn't make it.

An image of Lenalee's smile suddenly flashed in his mind together with the times they've spent together. Seeing those memories, he shook his head and scolded himself for losing motivation and even doubting his capabilities to keep a promise. Whatever will happen, he will – without doubt – complete his mission and return to his beloved before she gives birth to their child. He will make sure of it.

With the renewed determination he had gathered, he left the park and made his way towards the outskirts of the city. Heloise and her master had better be prepared for his arrival.

-/-/-

-/-/-

Mona gulped as she shakily reached out to the phone beside the branch head's computer. A few minutes had passed since she and Allen had talked over the phone and still, she can't shake the feeling of dread and surprise from the news. She had thought some crazy cult would be the one responsible for the creation of the akuma but then…a Noah?

It's already obvious that their current situation was not as simple as something that can be solved with a classified mission anymore. If there's a Noah involved, then that meant someone as powerful (or even more powerful at that) than the Earl was the one behind the unwanted scenarios playing before their eyes. Was it a warning for another war? A sign that the peace they'd been experiencing was only a mask to the truth?

She forced herself to dial the numbers as she momentarily hoped Allen will indeed return with good news. After all, it was already unfortunate enough that he was the one assigned to do the classified mission. Then suddenly, he found out that the situation was a lot worse than he could imagine. She didn't know how the young man had even managed to stay focused under all the pressure he had been experiencing for the last few months. On top of that, his fiancée was already on schedule to give birth for the next few weeks.

_'He has to come back alive and well…for the sake of his waiting family, and for the sake of the world.'_ It would be very unfortunate if the general will fail his mission. Then again, it was only an "if". She shouldn't think about it. She should believe in him and his capabilities.

"_Good day, this is Supervisor Komui Lee."_

She nodded at herself when she heard a male's voice from the other line.

"Supervisor Lee, this is Mona Vasquez. I called to deliver a message from General Walker."

At the main headquarters, Komui was lazily signing stacks and stacks of documents on his desk. Reever, Bookman and Lavi were there since they were previously talking about the back-up they'd dispatched to help Allen in his mission.

With the phone call though, the Chinese temporarily abandoned the files and concentrated on what Mona was about to say. It was obvious that the message was important since he felt the nervousness from the female's voice.

"What is it Mona?"

Mona narrowed her eyes as she held her breath.

"Branch head Shandez Baker was kidnapped last night."

Komui bolted from his seat. "What?"

The other three occupants of the room suddenly stopped what they were doing and stared at the supervisor in half surprise-half wonder. Komui didn't face them and leaned his ear further to the handset instead.

"What happened? Why is she kidnapped?"

"We don't know yet, but General Walker is already on the way to save her."

The Chinese felt a slight relief. "Thank God the general's there…"

"_Supervisor, there's another thing."_

He paused for a moment. "There's more?"

"Yes." Mona muttered from her line. She prepared herself to say the news.

"General Walker had encountered a Noah."

Silence…

Komui almost dropped the phone in shock. "D-Did you just say…"

"_You heard right supervisor." _

The Chinese instinctively covered his mouth to prevent himself from yelling on the phone and demand if the secretary was telling the truth. By that time, Reever was already watching his superior with confusion while Bookman and Lavi only stared at Komui with narrowed eyes. They can feel that something big had happened.

"_That's not all, supervisor."_ Komui heard Mona speak again.

"_The general found out that the Noah had something to do with Dr. Shandez' kidnapping, and that the Noah's master wanted to meet with him. The general's already on his way to rendezvous with them."_

"What?" Komui bellowed. "Couldn't he wait? I already sent someone to help him there!"

Mona suddenly gasped from her line. "Thank goodness you sent reinforcements! But I'm afraid we can't stop the general now."

The Chinese was silent again for another moment as he thought over what he just found out. He can't believe things had been turning for the worse. He massaged his temples after calming himself.

"Is that all Mona?"

A pause. _"He also said that he'll definitely save Dr. Shandez and he wants us to just wait. That's all, supervisor."_

Komui slowly returned to his seat as he wondered how he can just wait while Allen was out there facing enemies he didn't even know. But then that's the only thing he and the others can do, even though it was already becoming frustrating to just sit and wait. Despite that, he was right to send a back-up. He just wished the person they sent would make it in time before something a lot worse may happen.

"Thank you Mona." He whispered. "Call me again if there's news."

"_You're welcome, supervisor. I'll remember to inform you. Goodbye."_

"Yes, goodbye."

Reever waited for Komui to relax after the call before he approached him and anxiously asked what the Chinese found out that made him so shocked.

"Who's that supervisor?"

"It's Mona Vasquez from the S.A. Branch." The Chinese started as Bookman and Lavi approached him too.

"She called to relay a message from General Walker."

Lavi blinked. "What message?"

"…Dr. Shandez was kidnapped…and a Noah is involved."

It took a few moments before the news had fully registered inside their minds. When they realized what Komui told them, they simultaneously became surprised. Reever gasped, Bookman froze while Lavi widened his eyes.

"A N-Noah…? The Noah are also being revived…?" the Australian remarked disbelievingly.

Komui didn't answer for a second. "The general encountered one just last night. Apparently, the Noah admitted that _they_ were the ones who kidnapped Shandez and they want Allen to meet with their _master_."

"Master?" the redhead managed to blurt out after recovering from his surprise. "Do you think the master the Noah's saying is…the _woman_?"

Bookman nodded. "That's very plausible. Since akuma and the Noah are connected, the woman might be the only one controlling both."

Reever gulped. "But if the woman has the power to control both akuma and Noah, then that means she's as powerful, or even more powerful than the Earl!"

"That's what worries me." Komui sighed. "Even if Allen is by far one of the most powerful exorcists in this era, he will still have a very hard time to deal with them…or rather, it's impossible to deal with them by himself."

"But why would they kidnap Dr. Shandez?" the Australian questioned again.

Bookman narrowed his eyes. "I'm wondering about that too. But I think they're planning something big to even need a person from their enemy."

Reever clenched his fists. "And the bad thing is Allen's the only one who can solve everything right now."

The room fell into a tensed atmosphere after that being said. Lavi, who can't take the heavy aura developing around him, attempted to lighten up the mood.

"Well, at least _he_ will be there."

The other three simultaneously stared at him as if what he said was completely off-topic. The redhead sweatdropped and was about to apologize when the Chinese smiled a little and seemed to relax more.

"You're right. I'm glad we decided to send him to help Allen. _He's_ far more experienced after all. They'll have a chance if that person's there."

Reever nodded. "I just hope he won't be sidetracked on the way."

Lavi and Bookman sweatdropped at Reever's remark while Komui sighed and reached out for the wireless communicator located at his desk.

"Then we'll just have to tell him about the Noah." He added. "I'm sure he'll rush there if we tell him."

As the Chinese took the communicator, memories of long ago unconsciously flashed through his mind – all of them containing images of a beautiful woman with long black hair and ocean blue eyes. He clenched his other fist while his orbs narrowed in obvious worry. If there's anything he could do to help save Shandez, he'll definitely do it.

'_I hope she's alright…'_

Meanwhile…

It took another hour before Allen was finally on the right path to the mansion he was supposed to go. "A mansion at the outskirts of the city" was not a reliable description after all so he was forced to ask the people around him who might know the correct location. Some of the people he had asked where not that willing enough to enlighten him with the information and some had given him wrong directions. But when the name of Heloise Rutherford was included in a particular man's explanation, he knew he's on the right path already.

He stopped in his tracks upon arriving in front of a big golden gate that encloses an equally humongous mansion inside. He observed his surroundings for awhile before wondering if he was really at the right place since he can't sense any ominous aura nearby. The place was even emitting a pleasant atmosphere because of the flowers and the light shades of trees with little birds chirping joyfully.

And then his left eye activated.

He jerked his head to his front and was surprised to see that the gate was already opened and a girl in a maid uniform was bowing at him in a respectful manner. He raised an eyebrow as he debated whether he should activate his innocence or not. His left eye was certain that the girl was an akuma but…

"Please be at ease, Sir Walker. I have no intention to fight."

Allen didn't say anything and decided not to use Crown Clown yet. The girl resumed to standing position, her face expressionless.

"I am called Aria, the mistress' personal maid."

The word "mistress" picked Allen's interest.

"I was called here by your mistress."

"Yes, I know." Aria gave a very small smile. "We've been expecting your arrival."

Somewhere within one of the many rooms of the mansion, Edea was watching the white-haired general enter her humble home. When she saw her guest enter the mansion and the main door closed, she snapped her fingers and instantly, a dark shield-like aura surrounded the whole estate.

She smirked as she drank from her glass of wine.

"Welcome, Allen Walker."

* * *

**AN: **I am so frustrated. Something happened that ruined my plans for this vacation. And because of that, I have news for you readers…

The reason why I am so eager to finish this fic before 2009 is because by the start of January onwards…I WON'T have time to update anymore. My new schedule for the school's next term (w/c starts on January 5) tells me that I have classes 7 days a week from morning to 5 in the afternoon. So technically, updating will be almost impossible (add the fact that I have to travel 2 hours to go to school and home). It's unfortunate and if given a chance, I will do ANYTHING to change that damned bloody schedule so I can spare some time. But like they say, there's nothing I can do about it anymore.

So I decided to finish this before the term starts (since I don't want my beloved readers to wait for a long time ;)] because it's possible this vacation. But then, my family suddenly decided to spend the holidays at the province! There's no internet connection at my grandparents' house so I'm forced to type this using my cousin's computer and just upload the chapter at a computer shop about thirty minutes away!

Due to these series of unfortunate events (have I heard this phrase somewhere?), expect the final chapters to be updated waaaaaaay longer than usual. I might be able to post the next chapter before my classes but beyond that, I'm very sorry.

Anyway, lots of thank you's to the fabulous people who reviewed last time! (I'm too tired to list your names, sorry!) I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and I wish you have a happy New Year! And please bear with me for a little longer!

This is all people… I hope you enjoyed this chap!^^


	17. The Battle

Standard Disclaimer Applied.

* * *

"Any calls from the S.A. Branch?"

Reever knew he shouldn't be asking the same question the moment he entered Komui's office, but he just can't help it. The second he entered, he felt the silence in the office room that was making the place a whole lot tense compared to yesterday when they got the call. No one seemed to have any plans on breaking the almost unbearable silence either so he decided to be the one to speak.

But all he got was a simultaneous glance to him by the other two occupants of the room, namely Bookman and the Supervisor. He nervously sweatdropped at the blank faces he got from his companions and managed to release a sigh.

"Ok, I know. I won't ask you about that again. But I can't help it ok? It's been a whole 24 hours since Mona called and…and we still hadn't gotten any news from them…"

"We also know that Reever…" Komui answered with a slight wave of his hand.

"…and we appreciate your concern. So, what's your true purpose for coming here?"

"It's about Lenalee's baby shower right?"

Reever, Komui and Bookman all glanced at the newcomer who had just settled himself beside the section chief. Lavi ignored their rather surprised faces and instead greeted them with a small grin while he shrugged.

"I heard the Science Dept. making a fuss about it just moments ago. They're saying about throwing a party tonight for Lenalee and the baby…"

Komui's bad mood temporarily lifted at the mention of his sister's name and the "party" Lavi mentioned before entering the office. Reever sighed again and managed to smile a little before nodding at what the redhead revealed.

"Well, I was about to tell him about it when you came, Lavi."

"Oh, sorry." The exorcist scratched his cheek. "I didn't mean to cut you off like that."

Reever shook his head as if to say it's alright when Komui suddenly stood from his seat with a serious expression.

"So the Science department is planning to have a party for Lenalee's labor, hmm?"

The Australian nodded. "Well, it's not just the science department actually. The other departments wanted to join too, and we need your permission so –

"Of course I'll approve of it!" The Chinese blurted out in an excited manner.

"If it's for my lovely Lenalee and her lovely child, I'll approve of anything!"

"Great!" Reever remarked with a grin. "I'll leave now to tell –

"I'll go tell them!" Komui cut in again and walked towards the office door. The section chief frowned.

"Wait! You can't just –

"I will be the one to plan my sister's party~!"

And off went the Supervisor.

Reever stared at Komui's remaining trails for a moment before turning to the other males who were mysteriously silent during the matter.

"Is it ok for him to go out like that?" Reever asked. "I mean, with the current situation we're into…"

He let his statement slide off before Lavi sighed and let himself fall to the couch in front of the office desk, his arms hanging from the couch's backrest. He looked up to Reever with a somewhat defeated expression.

"He's obviously the one who's stressed out the most in our situation. It wouldn't hurt if he wanted to do something else to ease his mind even for a little bit."

He turned to the older Bookman standing beside the desk.

"Right, gramps?"

Bookman didn't say anything for a moment.

"If Komui won't go overboard, I think it's alright."

Lavi nodded then turned again to Reever. "See? Just let him relax for a moment. Besides,…"

"Besides?"

The redhead cringed. "Lenalee already noticed that we're frequently locking ourselves up in this office these past few days. She's also starting to get worried for her brother since Komui's not been eating that much lately. It will be bad if she saw her brother brooding to death in this room because of reasons she doesn't know."

"Y-You're right." The section chief remarked with a nervous gulp. "It's a good thing then that the science department thought of the baby shower."

Lavi grinned. "Yeah. We can use the party as an excuse for our 'strange' behavior lately. We can just tell Lenalee that we were having meetings inside this office to plan for her baby shower."

"That way, she won't worry anymore and just continue with her labor without any problems." Reever finished.

The red head nodded again in agreement before forcing himself up from the couch and stretching his arms.

"So let's get the hell out of here and help them plan the party!"

Reever smiled at Lavi's sudden display of cheerfulness. Despite the worsening situation, they were still able to smile and do things like how they normally did. And it's all for the sake of letting mankind enjoy the peace even just for a little more. He just hoped the outcome would be far from what he dreaded.

"You sounded just like Komui there." He joked after letting out a relieved sigh. Lavi shrugged.

"Well, it's not wrong to be that playful sometimes." He pointed a finger to Bookman.

"You better attend the party Panda-jii! I heard there's gonna be LOTS of pudding there!"

Bookman yelped in surprise at his grandson's remark. He frowned as if forced but a blush was obvious on his face.

"Y-You don't have to tell me that!"

Lavi and Reever laughed after seeing the old man's rather embarrassed face. The sound of their laughs made Bookman more embarrassed though, so he quickly walked out of the office. The action made Lavi laugh further while Reever just shook his head after recovering.

Before leaving the room with the red-haired exorcist, the section chief paid the telephone a swift hoping glance, as if telling it to hurry up and give them a sign that everything's alright already, and that Allen will be coming home soon.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Nice porcelains…"

Despite the deep pressure and urgency that leaked around his form as he walked behind a maid akuma, Allen can't help himself but to look around and admire the beautiful but obviously expensive furniture and other home accessories that can be found along the hallways. After all, he didn't expect that his new enemy would be hiding herself in a luxurious mansion such as where he was currently in. Did that mean that the "mistress" was someone of noble blood?

Aria glanced at the exorcist behind her before looking forward again. She was surprised the male even had the time to notice something as unworthy as the furniture her master had. She expected him to be silent all the away while steadily fixating a glare at her back. But that didn't happen. He was _casually_ looking around as if it was all a nice little field trip. And he was _not_ sending death threats at her like what she imagined. Then again, it wasn't her business to begin with if he preferred staring at shining porcelains. Maybe it was only a mask to hide what he truly felt – which she immediately concluded as fear for the mistress she was loyally serving.

"Those are rare vases bought from different parts of the world..." Aria spoke, pertaining to the porcelains.

"…my master loved those kinds of vases so we had a lot here in her mansion."

Allen nodded after listening to the maid's short explanation and let himself stare more at the sophisticated designs painted on the vases. He smiled a bit when he had enough and diverted his gaze forward.

"She has good taste."

Again, Aria glanced at the exorcist in surprise. Did he just compliment her master? The woman who was his enemy? She can't fathom how he can actually say something like that after what he had been through. Was it a sincere statement? Or just overwhelming confidence?

Her thoughts were put to a halt when a voice was heard inside her head.

"_Oi! Aria!"_

She bit her lip at the loudness of the voice while her eyes narrowed.

"_Master Xig. What is the matter?"_

"_Is the general there yet? I'm getting bored here."_

"_I am already leading his way inside the mansion." _She glanced at Allen again. "_Please wait for awhile."_

A sigh. _"Ok, I'll wait more. Just make it faster!"_

"_I understand master Xig. Please forgive my slow actions."_

She heard another string of complaints before Xig's voice finally vanished from her head. A small vein popped at the side of her forehead as she let a frown form on her lips. She didn't really like how that male Noah acted around. It's not like he was a direct relative of the mistress for him to act that bossy! If only he was a mere harmless human, then she would have devoured him ages ago.

When her head began to ache, she decided to stop thinking about the source of her annoyance and instead returned to focusing on leading the exorcist through the large estate. It wouldn't be good if her master herself would be the one telling her to make it faster. She didn't care if Xig would complain inside her head all night. But if it was her mistress Edea, she wouldn't take it.

A few more staircases down the mansion led them to a very dark hallway that was only lighted by candles that lit when they passed them. The change of surroundings forced Allen to finally focus on the impending battle that he was about to face. He can already feel the deep darkness, even just for a little. It must be a sign that he was near to facing the ones behind the attempts for another holy war.

"This is it."

Aria suddenly stopped in her steps so he stopped walking as well. He looked at where they paused. It was a large wooden door that seemed to be older than him. The akuma reached out and clasped the door's knob, twisting it a little before pushing it gently forward to open it.

"Please follow me inside."

Allen did follow her as they went inside the dark room. When they were fully inside, the wooden door suddenly closed loudly, just like how it happened in horror films. But he was not scared of course, although he did feel a chill down his spine upon sensing the murder, the evil, and the darkness concentrated in an aura that seemed to only increase when he went in.

He tried his best to ignore it and forced himself to look around the room instead. He raised an eyebrow when he finally noticed that there was nothing inside it.

"It's empty."

Aria heard his small remark but chose to stay silent. She raised her right hand and snapped her fingers. Nothing was changed until different kinds of doors were suddenly appearing in the four corners of the room. Allen watched in alertness as if expecting that something more will appear. But after a few minutes, there were only the doors that greeted him.

The maid suddenly turned around and finally faced him, gesturing to the dozens of doors that now adorned the walls and ceilings of the room.

"This ends my responsibility to accompany you, Sir Walker." She narrowed her eyes.

"Please choose a single door among these that you can see. It may lead you directly to my master or it may lead you to another. If you really want to see her, you must choose wisely."

Allen didn't say anything for a moment.

"So I'll just choose and follow whatever the door has in store for me?"

Aria nodded. "That is correct. Please choose now."

Since the maid was obviously pressuring him to choose already, he immediately diverted his gaze to the set of doors around him. The doors were all different from each other. Some were made of wood, some were steel and some were…just plain old doors. There's nothing significant about them that can actually grab his attention and make him choose them. So how was he supposed to choose?

'_And she said I should choose wisely…'_

He glanced at the akuma and was not surprised to see her staring back with him with an annoyed look. He sweated a bit and decided to just give up analyzing and choose a door. He looked at the doors again and closed his eyes, as if concentrating. Using what he called his 'gambling instincts', he randomly pointed his finger to whatever he had pointed at.

"I choose that door!"

Aria nodded and snapped her fingers.

"Very well."

The sound of something snapping and Aria's voice forced Allen to open his eyes and look at his choice. A black door made of wood was set in front of him. The other doors were gone.

"Farewell, Sir Walker." Aria suddenly remarked. Allen turned around to face her.

"It may be only an order, but thank you for accompanying me until here."

The akuma became uncomfortable at his gratitude but managed to continue her emotionless façade. After all, where can you see someone thanking their enemy? She nodded and bowed to him.

"It was indeed only an order so there's no need to thank me."

She stood straightly after that. "This is all. My mistress bids you good luck."

Before Allen could reply, Aria had vanished out of his sight. He stared at the akuma's previous position for a moment before shaking his head and turning around to face the door situated in front of him. With nothing to lose, he reached out and firmly grasped the cold silver knob and twisted it slowly as if making sure the said door was functional.

When there seemed to be nothing that hindered the door to be fully opened, he readily pushed it forward, expecting to see a room of some sort. But what he saw was different from his expectations.

The thing that he briefly saw was a large black hole twirling in front of him. And the last thing he remembered was being sucked in by the black hole. After that, the black hole disappeared and the door closed before vanishing too. The room was empty again.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Ugh…my head…"

Allen slowly opened his eyes after feeling the slight throbbing on his head that came with a nasty pain. The throbbing continued even after he fully opened his silver orbs and it took him a few more seconds before he can actually remember what had happened.

He sat from his previous lying position while he continued to massage his temples with his human hand. The only thing that he can quite remember was the sensation of falling from a high place and the impact on his head upon contact on the cold cemented floor. He looked up to the ceiling then and was surprised to see a very, very long set of staircase that stretched up to something that he can't see that moment. But the height he saw did make him remember what had happened.

'_Oh yeah, I went through that door then there was the black hole and…"_

He massaged his temples again and sighed when he finally remembered that he was dropped off from somewhere in midair, and was instantly knocked out after he felt the impact from his fall. Not that he wanted a much grander exit than what he got.

"Ok, enough wasting time."

He jerked himself up from his previous sitting position and stretched the aching muscles from his arms and shoulders. When he's sure his muscles are okay, he reached behind and dusted off the dirt from his pants while his eyes traveled to the long staircase that ascended all the way to who-knows-what. He didn't know how long he's gonna be climbing it up, but he better get started now if he wanted to save Shandez sooner.

As he made his way through the stairs, he can't help but notice that the scene he's currently in was oddly familiar, as if he had undergone something similar before. He took a moment to look around him as he ascended, at the strange designs on the stairs and the ominous aura that filled the air.

That was when it hit him.

The flight of stairs he's ascending was the same one as the stairs he also walked on years ago – at that time when they first went in the ark, the moments before meeting Tyki Mikk and Rhode Kamelot at the end of the stairs. It was the exact staircase that he and his friends went through before facing the two Noahs. The only difference was Lenalee and his other comrades were not there by his side to help him in the battles.

Putting that aside, he tried to figure out the reason why he's facing the same staircase as before. If it was the same, could it be that he's actually inside the ark? Or rather, another ark at that? Then if he's really inside a new ark, that would definitely mean that his enemy was as equipped as how the Earl was before. It will make things a lot harder for him and the Black Order then, if that was the case.

'_Damn. I have to tell Komui-san. But how?'_

He gritted his teeth a bit at his lack of communication devices. If only he had Timcanpy with him…

Seeing that there's nothing he can do about it at the moment though, he decided to switch back to his current situation and start planning what he was supposed to do upon meeting the "mistress". Of course, he would save Shandez and get as much information from the enemy as possible. Then after that, what's next? Would he be going for the kill? Or would he just retreat?

'_Dr. Shandez is my priority so I should check her condition first. Depending on her status, I can proceed to try to eliminate the enemy or not. But if I don't stop them now, they might try to attack the Order instead.'_

He sighed at his dilemma. It was hard enough to face a mysterious foe alone, but now that he's faced with not just fighting but also with deep decisions that should be made as wisely as possible, he realized that being dispatched _alone_ in a _classified_ mission was a lot harder than he thought. He should have requested a companion when the mission was given to him. Even if it's just Lavi or Crowley…heck, he would even settle with Kanda…if it meant to have someone he can rely to and increase the chances of winning against the enemy, then he'll gladly accept anyone.

Of course, he also realized that having regrets won't do any good for him at the moment. Besides, he'd rather sacrifice himself than pull somebody else in his responsibility. He's there already and there's no choice but to continue moving forward and face whatever it was that was placed for him to conquer.

And speaking of something to conquer, he was finally at the last two steps of the staircase. Some feet away from him was a large two-way door that was closed. When he walked out of the last step of the stairs, the door suddenly opened and a blinding white light greeted him. He raised his innocence arm and placed it in front of his face to shield his eyes from the light, but didn't close his eyes so that he can see what's beyond the light that greeted him. When the light slowly diminished after a few seconds though, he need not focus his eyes to find out what was waiting for him there.

"Took you long enough, kid."

Allen lowered down his arm and narrowed his eyes at the scene before him. There was a long dining table that stretched out before him, with delicious-looking food prepared together and small arrangements of flowers in the middle. But that was not what grabbed his attention.

Sitting on the dining chair farthest from him was a man, maybe as old as or possibly older than Kanda, with flaming crimson hair that stuck out in weird spikes and eyes colored dark brown. He was wearing an English suit with his legs crossed on top of the table - definitely not the usual English gentleman that you can see every day.

"Who are you?" the exorcist remarked after some moments of silence. "Where is Shandez-san?"

The man chuckled and popped out the bubble gum he was blowing. He licked the now tasteless candy from his lips and spat it to the far side of the floor before wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"Don't worry about the scientist. Boss's taking care of her."

He grinned at Allen. "In the meantime, why don't you pay attention to me? I've been waiting for you for so long."

At the white-haired exorcist's confused stare though, he shook his head and pulled his legs down from the table and smoothened out his suit.

"Oh sorry, I forgot my manners." He cleared his throat and gave out a grin. "My name is Xig, Mr. Walker. I will be the one to kill you."

Allen was not fazed with Xig's little death threat and continued standing there. He twitched his fingers from his innocence hand just to be alert in case the enemy decided to suddenly attack. Xig noticed his fingers and smirked before leaning down to the table with his elbows raised up on it and his fingers interlaced with each other.

"Relax. I won't be killing you just yet. Why don't you sit and eat first? I'm sure you're pretty hungry with the battle from Heloise."

Allen smirked. "Thank you for the offer but I will have to decline, I will eat as much as I can when I return. So why don't you tell me where you hid Shandez - san?"

Silence…

Xig suddenly burst out in laughter without any warning. He wrapped his arms around his stomach to make himself stop but there's not much effect. Meanwhile, Allen only watched him laugh in confusion and slight insult. He frowned at the older male.

"What's funny?"

The Noah glanced at him for a second then laughed a few more times before settling himself. He took a deep breath and sighed when he was finally able to relax.

"Sorry about that." He stated before letting a small smirk grace his lips. "It's just funny how things were so exact from that time. The only difference now is your purpose for coming here."

The exorcist raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You don't remember?" Xig remarked in slight amusement. "Oh well. It's not like it makes a difference. We can just call it as a simple déjà vu or something. Anyway –

"XIG YOU BASTARD!"

Allen and Xig both twitched at the shrill yell that suddenly erupted from a heart-shaped door that suddenly appeared in mid air. Allen froze slightly at the familiarity of the door, as he had encountered it so many times during his time inside the original ark with his friends.

Xig only sighed at the voice and didn't look at the door even if it appeared directly above him. The door suddenly opened and out came a 10-year-old girl with long blonde hair and big blue eyes. Tears were present from her orbs as she looked down to the man sitting below her. She pouted and jumped down to him, immediately wrapping her legs around his neck.

"HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS! I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONE TO MEET HIM!"

A vein twitched on Xig's forehead as he felt her tiny fists drumming themselves on top of his head.

"Dan…" he sighed in slight annoyance. "I didn't mean it ok? Everything happened so fast and…"

He pointed at Allen. "He's here already."

Dan sniffed two times then slowly diverted her eyes to the young man standing on the opposite side of the table. Allen blinked at the little girl who stared at him in a somewhat puzzled manner. He twitched when the girl's eyes lit up and a big grin suddenly plastered on her face.

"It's you!"

The tears on her eyes were suddenly gone as she jumped off from Xig and ran towards him in a hurried manner, stopping only when she was at least a foot away from him. Allen suddenly became nervous at the close distance and stepped backward. But he was stopped from further stepping away when Dan jumped to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and quickly leaned in to kiss him.

Only that, her lips instead met the cold flesh of his human palm as he shielded his face from her.

Allen didn't know if he was supposed to laugh or frown at his current position with the girl. He decided to just take it as a childish joke though and chuckled uneasily as he gently pulled her arms from his neck with his other hand. After that, he cautiously held her by the waist and put her down to the floor.

"You sure have an unusual way of greeting, little girl."

Xig was suddenly laughing his ass off from his seat while Dan frowned at Allen. The exorcist only smiled uneasily at her.

"Heck, that was priceless Dan!" Xig blurted out from between laughs.

Dan frowned deeper. "Shut up Xig. Your _sympathy's_ not appreciated."

She sighed in defeat when Xig continued to chuckle so she decided to just focus her eyes to the man before her. Allen was still smiling at her as if she was a harmless innocent girl who gets excited at strangers. That thought made her smirk inwardly. If he knew who she really was and her connection with him, she doubt he'll just stand there and smile as if there's not much of a problem.

'_It's a refreshing experience though.'_ She mused. '_To stand in front of you like this instead of constantly trying to kill each other…just like long ago.'_

She broke her thoughts when she's been silent enough. She released a seemingly frustrated moan and turned around to walk away from him, taking small steps towards Xig who already stopped himself from his laughter.

"How frustrating! I thought I can steal another one from you!" she remarked to Allen as she pouted then stopped when she's beside Xig.

"After all, that one kiss from that time isn't really enough to satisfy me."

The girl's suspicious remarks made Allen to drop his uneasy smile and instead stare at the pair with narrowed eyes. Kiss? _That_ time? What are they talking about?

His brows furrowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Dan and Xig looked at each other before smirking simultaneously and slowly diverting their gaze to the exorcist. The girl placed her hands inside her pockets in a lazy manner.

"I guess we really need to introduce ourselves."

Xig shrugged and stood up from his seat before running a hand through his hair.

"Well, it can't be helped. Nothing's gonna happen if we just keep on talking here."

His brown eyes flashed at him. "You still remember Heloise right?"

Allen hesitated for a moment. "Of course."

"Then," Xig smirked more. "Let's just say me and Dan here are the same as her."

The general tensed.

"What –

"Think about it."

Allen stared at the two as he tried to think about Heloise. What was the one thing that made him realize that the actress was on sides with his enemy? The thing about her that made the situation a lot worse?

'_Heloise is a Noah…'_

He froze.

"_Let's just say me and Dan here are the same as her."_

His silver orbs widened at the realization. After a few seconds, the surprise on his eyes was replaced by a deep glare.

"You two…!"

"Yes."

Dan muttered in glee as she and Xig were both enveloped in a sickeningly dark aura. Their figures disappeared from the aura for a moment until a pair of yellow eyes appeared among the thick atmosphere. Those eyes flashed at Allen in a sadistic stare.

And just as he suspected, the dark aura vanished after a fast minute, leaving two beings with deep gray skin, yellow orbs and seven stigmata carved on their foreheads. Xig grinned at him.

"Let me introduce myself again." He reached from his pocket and took out a poker card, making sure it was seen by the exorcist.

Allen immediately got what Xig was implying. He unconsciously gritted his teeth at his guess. The Noah realized that the general already knew but he still continued with his introduction.

"It's been a long time, Allen Walker. I'm Tyki Mikk."

Allen didn't say anything. Dan chuckled at his speechlessness as she stepped forward to introduce herself.

"You're quite shocked there aren't you, Allen?" she giggled. "I hope you still remember the Rhode Kamelot who was slain by you and Lenalee-chan."

She didn't let the exorcist be surprised any further. She licked her lips slowly.

"Did you miss me?"

Allen was silent for a moment as he stared at the two Noahs in front of him. He thought Lulu Bell's the only Noah who was resurrected. No, to put it correctly, he was hoping the enemy was still not powerful enough to bring all the Noah back to life. He had hoped that he could defeat the mistress they were talking about, but now that two of the most powerful Noah were standing right there ready to kill him, it seemed that victory would be near impossible.

'_If Lulu Bell, Tyki Mikk and Rhode Kamelot are all resurrected now, does that mean the enemy is planning to resurrect the rest?'_

"So you two have been resurrected also…" he bellowed in a deep frown, activating his innocence without much of a word. Xig stared at him in amusement.

"And you still have that troublesome innocence."

Dan licked her lips again. "That's the one that killed us right? I can still remember the feeling of that innocence cutting through my body."

"But that won't happen again." Xig cut in with a glare and a smirk. "Not when we have the Boss here."

He threw the poker card towards Allen.

"You better be prepared kid. We're not the same Noah that you fought and killed before."

Allen gave back a smirk as he sliced the card into two using his claw, not letting it come even a foot near his body. It was a sign that he had accepted the challenge.

"You must be prepared also. I'll be sure to send you back to the hell you came from."

"Ooohh. Nice threat you got there." Dan giggled as she summoned a Level 1 akuma. She jumped and sat on its head.

Xig didn't say anything as he snapped his fingers. A few black butterflies suddenly began to flutter around him. He grinned at the exorcist.

"Shall we get started?"

-/-/-

-/-/-

"_Thinking by yourself again?"_

_She glanced at her right to see her co-trainee settling himself beside her. He leaned towards the rails of the balcony, with his arms supporting his weight up. She frowned slightly at his sudden appearance but didn't say anything about it._

"_What are you doing here?"_

_Said man shrugged and just stared up at the stars in the night sky. He was silent for a moment._

"_You're not there at the party. I'm just wondering where you are."_

"_Parties are not really my thing. You know that." She sighed and tucked a strand of black hair on her ear._

"_You better go back. It's also your congratulatory party after all."_

_She turned around and took a few steps away from him, intending to leave and find another place where she could think. It was hard enough to know that she won't be seeing him anymore, but his stubborn actions of going to her made things harder for her. She can't think straight if he was there._

"_Wait."_

_The sound of her name sliding off from his lips made her stop from her tracks. But she didn't face him. She was stubborn not to turn around. The tears might come out suddenly if she would see his eyes._

"_I heard from the others that you're planning to go to the Oceania Branch."_

_She nodded as she listened. "Yes, that's right."_

"…_and that my position at the Main H.Q was originally offered to you, but you declined."_

_She tensed with his follow-up statement and was tempted to look back, but forced herself not to._

"_Why did you decline?" she heard the man ask, but she didn't say anything._

"_Please tell me! I won't leave this place if you don't speak!"_

_She recognized the anxiousness from his voice and again, the temptation to turn around and run to him built up inside her chest. Small tears formed on her ocean blue eyes as she struggled for the words to come out from her mouth._

"_It's…it's for you and your sister. You wanted the position so much that I just have to refuse. I don't have any other reasons. I just wanted…I just wanted you to be…happy."_

_There was silence after her explanation and for awhile she considered running off, just like how those romance dramas went when there's a confrontation. But all thoughts of running away jumped off the window when she felt him now standing inches from her back. He was so near she can feel his warm breath bouncing from her hair._

"_You know I can't be happy if you're not there."_

_She froze at his words as he reached out to hold her hand. Yet, before he can even touch her skin, she took a step forward and whirled to face him. Her eyes were narrowed and small tears were still there. She was preventing herself to cry._

"_Nonsense! Your sister's there! It won't make a difference even if I'm not with you."_

_The man just stared at her, not moving from his position. But she could see his pleading from his eyes, the same pleading she had tried to suppress deep within her. He gave her a small smile, as if trying to convince her._

"_Can't you really wait?"_

_His question was the last straw. She can't stop herself anymore. Slowly, the tears flowed down to her cheeks and landed to the cold marble floors. She tried to comfort herself by returning the smile, almost wishing she was smiling for a different reason._

"_I would have said otherwise if things are different. But it's not and we just…can't. You know it's not going to work. So please…go and see your sister. Make sure she's not lonely anymore. That's the only thing I'm going to ask from you."_

_He called out her name again but she shook her head and turned around, now with the determination to really leave him there. She took a deep breath and released it in a sigh before reaching out to wipe the tears from her orbs._

"_You're annoying and I really hate how you sacrifice yourself for your sister. But that's also what I like about you."_

_She turned sideways to glance at him, her lips curled up in another smile._

"_I do love you, and if only we're in a different situation…I would have said yes."_

"Komui…"

Shandez slowly opened her eyes after her dream, not caring if her beaten eyes hurt with the tears that rolled down from her orbs. She chuckled to herself and tried to stop herself from actually crying. Of all times, why must she remember that scene? Was that memory actually telling her something?

'_Maybe my time's up?'_

She looked down and stared at the now blood-soaked bed she had been sitting on, then to her nailed hands at both sides of her head. She was surprised to see that blood no longer flowed from her wounds. And instead, bandages covered her hands while the nails that previously kept her limbs in that position were replaced by thick ropes that tied her to the ceiling.

The doctor smirked and diverted her gaze to the woman standing in front of her.

"So you actually have a humane side huh?"

Edea smiled at her as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"You were about to die a few hours ago and, well, I can't let you die yet. Not when I have a change of plans and he's already here."

"You should have let me die." Shandez muttered nonchalantly when she remembered something from Edea's statement.

"_He_?"

The noblewoman smirked. "Yes. _Him_."

She waved her hand and a TV monitor appeared in front of her. She stared at it in suspicion until there was a flash and a few static appeared as if finding a signal. When the static's fully gone and real images appeared, her eyes suddenly widened in surprise at what she saw.

"G-General Walker…!"

The television was showing her the white-haired exorcist with his activated innocence. He was battling with Xig and Diana, who were both in their Noah form. She inwardly cursed when Allen was thrown out to a wall, blood was oozing from his lips while the two Noah only had minimal damage.

'_At this rate, it's impossible to even defeat Edea…he might die!'_

"Allen Walker's here to rescue you, and I heard that he wanted to see me so much."

Edea cut in, her emerald eyes flashing as she slowly watched her captive's reaction. Shandez glared at her.

"What are you planning now? Why do you have to involve him further in this?"

The "mistress" only laughed at her. She shook her head.

"He was already involved enough to begin with. I'm just making ways to make his role bigger."

Her lips curled in a small smirk. "Especially since the 14th's inside him."

"The 14th…" Shandez froze at the realization. "You can't!"

"Oh yes, I can." Edea smirked more. "I'm _his _original master after all. If he knew I'm now awake…"

She placed a finger on her lips as if thinking. "I wonder if he'll welcome me with open arms…"

"NO!" Shandez shouted despite her lack of strength. "Allen will never let you! He won't let that happen!"

The noble shook her head at her as she leaned and grasp her chin with her hand, her long nails digging into her flesh. Shandez moaned in pain.

"Just relax while watching, dear." Edea blurted. "I still hold that third string you know."

She released Shandez and glanced at the television. She giggled upon seeing Allen suffer.

"Shall we call your savior now?"

**Back at the battle…**

"Ugh!"

Allen breathed heavily as he took the Tease from his shoulder. He threw it away from him and quickly sliced it with his claw, together with the other Tease. But just like what he had experienced before, the Tease only multiplied upon being sliced and soon the place was almost full of the butterflies.

"Noticed the difference?" Xig muttered as he called a butterfly and let it land on his finger.

"These creatures are different than the ones you encountered before." He smiled at the Tease and let it fly off.

"They're more flexible, more vicious and faster." He stared at the struggling exorcist.

"It would be not as easy as before to get rid of them."

He was cut off when there was a blinding flash of light and a whole pack of Tease was wiped out instantly. Xig blinked as smoke appeared between them. He was surprised with the sudden attack from the exorcist but wasn't fazed.

"Ok, I know. You're a general, and the one who killed the Earl. I get that already."

Allen's figure emerged from the smoke, a somewhat triumphant smirk was present on his face as he walked out of the gray gas while massaging his aching shoulder.

"You should have realized that sooner if you really want to kill me."

Xig smirked back. "I just wanted to find out if you haven't rusted yet."

"So, what did you find out?" the exorcist muttered as if playing around with him.

"I found out…" the Noah started with a grin. "That we're stronger than you now."

Suddenly, all the remaining Tease gathered around Allen in lightning speed, surrounding him until there's only a big black sphere. Allen's inside it.

Xig and Dan glanced at each other with matching grins, as if all that happened was really part of a plan. Dan giggled and raised a hand up, immediately summoning at least four dozens of candles with pointed edges. With a flick of a finger, all those candles flew towards the sphere in a fast rate and had embedded themselves inside it.

Inside the sphere, Allen was finding it very hard to breath. He analyzed his situation as similar during his fight with Tyki, when he discovered the Noah has the power to reject atmosphere.

'_But I've been through this before, so I know how to get through this!'_

Unlike before, he was not panicking and forcing himself to breathe and get out of the sphere. He was standing calmly inside the rejected atmosphere, with his eyes closed as if concentrated. However, his meditation was cut short when he felt something approaching. With quick reflexes, he summoned his sword and dodged a candle that was pointed towards him. He gritted his teeth and sliced it in half before extending Crown Belt to dodged and destroy the other candles that dared enter the space and tried to pierce him.

'_Must be Rhode's doing.'_ He mused as he prepared to get out of there.

The two Noah were not really surprised when the black sphere exploded together with the candles that tried to stab the exorcist. They watched as Allen lowered his sword down, eyes fixed in a glare.

Without much ado, he disappeared from their sight and reappeared a split second later behind them. They didn't even notice when he raised his sword and swung it through them horizontally, leaving horizontal crosses from where he had sliced them.

"Goodnight."

He jumped away from his position and watched without much expression as Dan and Xig were both enveloped in a white flame. Their screams echoed throughout the place until what's left of them were their ashes.

He took a time to catch his breath and returned his sword to his left arm, but didn't deactivate Crown Clown. Even though their appearances were different, he didn't think Rhode and Tyki would be fighting in the same style as how they were when they were still alive. If they knew they would be facing him, they should have fought him in a different way so that they can have a better chance to defeat him. Not that he's complaining about it.

'_Is it really over?'_

"That's a nice move, Allen."

He tensed when he heard Dan's voice. Before he could compose himself, his whole surroundings melted away, leaving only an eerie dimension with violet-colored spirals. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth as he looked around in a desperate search._ 'I knew it! They're still – _

"But what you've done is not enough to kill us…"

STAB.

He coughed out blood as he slowly looked down – to the long candle that pierced through his mid section. Blood oozed from the wound that the candle created while immense pain surged through his whole being. He prevented himself from crying out as he diverted his gaze to the person behind him, to the person who dared stab him from the back.

"How does it feel, Allen-kun?"

He widened his eyes when he saw the beautiful face of Lenalee, smiling at him like how she usually did when they were together. He choked out at that, never expecting to actually see the face of his beloved.

STAB.

Again, pain emerged when he felt another stab, this time on his side. He looked away from Lenalee and turned his eyes to the person in front of him – who turned out to be Lavi.

"You should try harder, General moyashi!"

The wide grin on Lavi's face was enough to send chills down his spine. He never imagined, not even in his wildest dreams, that Lenalee and Lavi would be the ones to stab him as if he was nothing to them. He knew that they might very well be just illusions, but the pain was real and _they_ feel so _real._ Seeing their faces there was more painful than what he's experiencing from their stabs.

'_Shit. They stabbed me in my vital organs…'_

He cursed when he suddenly felt dizzy. He can't give up now! The Lenalee and Lavi he's seeing were definitely just illusions! There's no way they would betray him like what happened! He released a frustrated growl and powered-up his innocence. Not taking a moment to relax, he simultaneously pushed his two stabbers away from him before jumping a few steps away from them. He summoned his sword and planted it on the ground to use it as a support while he leaned to it. His other arm was wrapped around the two deep holes on his body.

"-cough- Show yourselves!"

A laugh greeted his desperate yell and out came Dan and Xig who were watching him in delight as he writhed in pain. Xig shook his head and reached out to take a cigarette from his pockets.

"Do you really expect us to be as careless as before?" he stated as he lighted the cigarette.

"We're given another chance to kill you, so why would we let ourselves be defeated now?"

Allen didn't say anything for a moment.

"How…How did you…"

"The moment you charged towards us, you were instantly transported to Rhode's illusions."

Dan giggled. "You thought you were actually fighting with us. But in truth, you were inside a 'dream' that I created."

The exorcist gritted his teeth. "So all of that…was part of your plan…"

"Yep." Dan replied. "Even this."

He cried out when a large Tease suddenly appeared and bit him on the back. He used Crown belt to force it out from his back and quickly maneuvered to blast a ball of his power to destroy it. However, he didn't notice the candles that appeared the moment the Tease was destroyed. It was too late for him to avoid all the candles and half of them managed to pierce him in different parts of his body.

"Damn." He managed to whisper as he tried to compose himself. "What's happening to me?"

"It's the effect of my lovely candles Allen." Dan muttered. "I added poison to them."

Xig enjoyed watching the exorcist fall in defeat and was feeling the desire to do more. He needed to see Allen Walker die in a very painful death, a death he wouldn't forget even after he ascended to the afterlife.

But when he was about to do more…

_Enough! _

The two Noah suddenly froze at the new voice that rung through the dimension. Allen also heard the voice and looked at Dan and Xig, waiting to see what they would do next.

"Mama?" Dan asked while she looked up.

Xig sighed when he realized what their master was about to say.

"Boss." He stated in a loud voice. "Are you going to face him now?"

_Yes, if you may. Shandez-chan is also very anxious to see him too so – _

"Shandez-san!" Allen reacted upon hearing the name of his comrade. "Give her back!"

A chuckle.

_Now, now. No need to be so apprehensive, Allen Walker._

Suddenly, the dimension began to crumble and Allen can see wallpapered walls. As he stood from his kneeling position, the dimension was completely wiped out from his sight. What greeted him next was a tall woman with pinned black hair and deep green eyes. Beside her was…

"Shandez-san!" he called out with fright when he saw the blood-soaked bed she was tied in. Shandez only smiled at him in reply.

"General Walker…"

"What a touching reunion!" Edea cut in glee. Allen's attention turned to her.

"What the hell did you do to her? What do you want from her?"

Dan ran to hug her mother while Xig walked to stand beside his boss. Edea smiled as she patted her daughter's head to congratulate her for a job well done. When Dan nodded, the woman looked back to the exorcist and gave him the same smile.

"Shandez wasn't being obedient and didn't want to share her knowledge. I have to teach her a lesson."

"Knowledge?" Allen raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want her knowledge?"

Edea's smile didn't falter. "To make stronger akuma, of course."

The mention of akuma brought the exorcist back to his senses as he widened his eyes at a realization. He narrowed his orbs at the tall woman and soon, anger began to rise up in him.

"You're that _woman_."

"Yes I am." Edea replied with a smirk. "I am called as Edea, the mother of the Noah, and the creator of the Earl."

A pause…

'_What?'_

Allen widened his eyes. "W-What did you just –

"What's so surprising Allen Walker? I'm the one you're chasing after. Aren't you glad you finally met me?"

"But you just said you're the creator of the Earl…"

"Oh, so you exorcists didn't know about me?" Edea sighed. "How disappointing!"

The exorcist ignored her playful acts and glared more. "Explain!"

The noble stared at him for a moment before turning her expression into a serious one.

"Listen well as I'm going to say this once."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I am the original maker of the akuma. The Earl, who you fought for centuries, was a disobedient apprentice of mine who wanted nothing but to take over my researches and destroy the world."

She shrugged. "He was an excellent student though, because he was able to put me into sleep for hundreds of years. It was a very high level spell and all I can do was to watch how things happened, how he had disgraced my beloved akuma!"

"But because you killed him," she smiled again at Allen. "The spell was nullified and I was able to return! I will be able to create a new world myself!"

Silence…

It took more than a minute for Allen to digest every word Edea mouthed. Original maker of the akuma? The Earl's master? It was hard to believe, especially since it was the first time he heard such things. But as he thought about it, it did make sense. Who else would have the capacity to make akuma other than a person similar to the Earl? Who else would be able to control the Noah other than a person even more powerful, that the Earl himself?

Yes. Edea was more powerful than his former enemy. He can see from his akuma eye. The magnitude of her dark power was frighteningly overwhelming. He didn't know such a being existed in this world. Even the Earl, who was impossibly hard to defeat, would only measure up to three fourths of her power.

'_Defeating her with me alone will be impossible.'_

He took a deep breath in an attempt to recover from the shock.

"Shandez-san has nothing to do with this. Just release her."

Edea saw how the exorcist analyzed her with his left eye, and she was satisfied to see the hopelessness that was slowly showing from his eyes. Convincing the fourteenth would be easier then.

"About Shandez," she muttered with a start. "Her fate will depend on you."

Allen narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Xig smirked. "We meant the person inside you, kid."

"What?" the exorcist blurted. "What do you mean?"

"The 14th, Allen Walker." Edea stated. "Call out the 14th from within you and we will release your friend."

Allen glared.

"I can't do that!" he took a step forward but pain stopped him again. He looked down at his wounds and the pool of blood forming below him.

"Damn. I can't be like this!"

"You're life is slowly diminishing, exorcist. Call out your other self so you could survive."

"I won't do that!"

"Then you're going to let your friend die?"

Allen slowly turned to look at Shandez, who was watching the scenes unfold in front of her helplessly. She caught the General looking at her, as if debating if he would do what the enemy wanted him to do or not. She frowned a bit at that. Why was he hesitating?

"Don't listen to them, Allen." She spoke as firmly as possible. "They only wanted to take the 14th to their side. If you call him out, you might try to kill Lenalee again!"

The mention of Lenalee's name forced the exorcist to be frozen on the spot.

"Oh yes, the sacrifice of love." Edea suddenly stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "In order for the 14th to completely take over his host, he has to kill the one who the host has the closest bond – the person he loves."

She smirked at Allen. "The host has to lose a conscious bond with the world, so the sacrifice of love is necessary."

"I won't let that happen."

Allen suddenly whispered with a glare. He remembered those horrible times when the 14th almost took over him, when he _almost_ _killed_ Lenalee. He can still see the tears in her eyes when that happened, the wounds he had inflicted on her. It was a memory that will forever stab him in the heart.

"I won't let that happen again!"

"Whatever you do, you can't have the 14th." Shandez suddenly interrupted with a small smirk.

"A seal was placed on the General to prevent the 14th from taking over."

Edea glanced at her. "A seal?"

"Yes, a seal –

"I knew about that." The noble cut in. "And so what?"

In an instant, she disappeared and reappeared behind Allen. The exorcist didn't have the time to react when Edea reached out and placed her hand on top of his head, releasing dark energy from the tips of her fingers.

"This type of a seal doesn't even challenge me!"

Allen was paralyzed the moment he felt Edea's fingers touch his head. And when dark aura started to enveloped him, unbearable pain suddenly rose from inside his head. He felt like his skull was being cut in half.

"Arrgghh! STOP!"

Edea only laughed as she watched the white-haired exorcist yell in pain while he struggled to escape from her hold.

"My dear 14th, come out and greet your true master!"

Something flashed in Allen's eyes, making Edea widen her orbs in triumph. She can feel it! The Noah inside of him was slowly awakening! Just a bit more! Just a bit more and –

BANG!

"I would appreciate it if you stop doing that to him."

Edea was forced to release Allen upon the impact of a gunshot on her arm. She jumped away from the exorcist and glared at a shadow hiding not far from them.

"Show yourself!"

Xig, Dan and Shandez all glanced at the shadow in the corner, waiting for the person to show himself. Shandez was inwardly wishing the person was on their side. They needed to help Allen after all. She wouldn't know what to do if it was another enemy.

But the shining red locks and the golden golem fluttering around him that she saw when the person showed himself was enough to ease her chest from fear.

"General –

"You!" Edea interrupted with a frown. "Cross Marian, wasn't it?"

Cross smirked and did a small curtsy bow to the woman, then stood up straightly after that.

"It's a pleasure to know that a beautiful woman like you knew about me."

He then raised his hand and pointed Judgment to her. "Now move and hand over that idiot."

The ringing of a very familiar voice in his ears was enough to wake Allen from his unconsciousness. And when he saw the person a few feet away from him, pointing his innocence at Edea, he can't help but to smirk in relief.

"Master…" he greeted as he slowly sat despite the throbbing pain.

Cross frowned at him. "Don't call me 'master', you idiot. You're not my apprentice anymore."

"Hmph. Enough with the reunions." Edea glared at the newcomer. "What are you doing here?"

The crimson-haired general shrugged. "Our supervisor was pestering me into helping that idiot there, and since he can't do much without me, I just had to go here."

He glared back at Edea. "I also have to stop you from playing with the seal I placed on him."

He made eye contact with Allen in a split second, and the younger exorcist immediately knew what he had to do.

"Cross Grave!"

Edea jumped in surprise at the sudden attack. Allen took it as a chance to get to Cross's side. Xig and Dan both ran to attack him, but the other general was faster and was able to shoot at least two bullets to prevent them from going any further.

"I'll get Shandez!" Cross yelled to the younger male. "Concentrate and try to summon your ark now!"

"The ark? But if I do that, the 14th might –

"Just do it! The seal's still intact, don't worry!"

Cross didn't let Allen argue any further. He quickly jumped to the bed at the side and immediately cut the ropes that kept the doctor captive. The relief that suddenly washed over Shandez made her immensely dizzy, and she was only able to mouth a weak "thank you" before completely passing out. The general nodded at the gratitude and carried her gently in his arms. He turned around and widened his eyes.

"Idiot, look out!"

Allen was trying to summon the ark when he felt the familiar sensation of Edea's hand on his head. He opened his eyes in alarm and pulled away. But before he could fully go away from her, he managed to hear something from her smirking lips.

"I placed a curse on you Allen Walker. A few hours from now, you will be put into a sleep. You will never awake from it. That way, the exorcists won't even have a use for you. Since I can't kill you right now, this is the only thing I can do."

Allen widened his eyes. Edea glared at him.

"This is your reward for rejecting me."

She pulled back after that and called the Noah to stop. Cross went to Allen's side and held his shoulder, telling him to hurry up.

"Allen, now!"

Light flashed from them and soon the three of them vanished from the place, leaving only the blood that spilled from Allen's wounds.

Silence…

"Is it ok to let them off like that?"

Xig asked after a few moments. Dan nodded and looked up to her mother.

"He's right mama! Why did you let them go?"

Edea smiled down at the girl before looking at the corner where the three exorcists formerly stood before escaping.

"Don't worry my dear. This is just the beginning."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Oi! Don't just sleep right now! We have a lot of cleaning to do!"

Reever sighed as he took an armful of wine bottles from a table. He kicked Johnny's leg in an attempt to wake him up, but the young scientist just moaned in complaint.

"Come on Reever…just leave that until tomorrow!"

"I would love to do that Johnny. But don't forget that the inspection from the Central's happening tomorrow."

In an instant, Johnny was awake and had stood up from his seat. He wiped the saliva that lingered from his lips before sighing in disappointment.

"Alright, I'll help you."

It's been 2 hours since Lenalee's baby shower ended. The planning for the party was hurried and they ended up throwing in everything they had thought of. But everything's worth it when they saw how happy Lenalee was when they surprised her.

Reever smiled when he remembered how often Lenalee was laughing and smiling during the party. He had never seen the woman so happy since Allen left for the classified mission, so he was glad his and his friends' efforts paid off upon seeing the girl's smiles.

"_I wish Allen-kun's here to join!"_

His smile lowered a bit when he remembered that particular statement Lenalee said when they were playing a loud game of monopoly. He understood why she said that and he was sure the others were wishing the same thing too. He just hoped it won't be long before their savior's return.

After he and Johnny finished cleaning at least a corner of the cafeteria, they decided to just wait until the others were awake so that they could clean the place a lot of faster. The inspection's in the afternoon anyway so they had enough time to clean the next day.

"Let's go check the supervisor before we go to sleep."

Johnny nodded at him before yawning widely. They both walked through the hallways in a slow pace. They were both exhausted after all, especially Reever. He was constantly checking on the telephone at Komui's office and was also the one who mostly did the work for the party. Even now, he didn't know how he had managed to do all those things at once. A special ability maybe?

Upon arriving at Komui's office, they were surprised to see the Chinese huddled in front of the screen. He didn't even notice the two of them enter. Reever and Johnny only exchanged glances before approaching Komui.

"Supervisor, what's wrong?"

Komui was silent for a moment before pointing to the screen.

"I saw a flash appear a moment ago."

Reever narrowed his eyes and stared at the screen. The screen was connected to the gate, and was showing nothing but the empty ground before the main doors and the darkness the night had been giving..

"A flash? But –

Suddenly, electrical currents began appearing in the screen, making the three of them to gasp in surprise. Johnny gulped as the currents increased by the second.

"Wha-What's happening?"

No one answered him. Both Komui and Reever were anticipating what's gonna happen next. Reever was silently wishing it wasn't an akuma that's causing the electric currents. Because if it was, it will be a big problem for them to explain –

"Wait."

His thoughts were stopped at Komui's sudden interruption and he leaned further to the screen.

His eyes widened.

"Isn't that….?"

A flash of light appeared and out came three people.

One was an unconscious female.

The other was a crimson-haired man who was carrying the female.

And the last one was a younger male, with blood spilling from his obvious multiple wounds, and his silver eyes looking directly to the camera.

* * *

AN: Ok, first things first, I'M NOT DEAD YET…XD. As you can see here, I'm alive and still kicking to write some fics for our beloved couple! And I'm terribly sorry for taking this LONG to post an update. School just ended last week and after I recovered from that 1 week straight all-nighters, I was finally able to type out this chapter!

I'm really sorry I took almost 3 months before this chapter. I did have time to update but…well, I'm also loaded with art papers and painting assignments and other whatnot. And since my priority is school, I used all my free time in doing my projects. Then the extra time was used for resting. I hope you understand…

Anyway, since I'm on a 1 month vacation, sooner updates are definitely possible so keep your eyes on them^^. And because I love you guys so much, I made this chap EXTRA long for you. (This is actually two chapters compressed into one…XD)

And for this people:

**Odat**

**KyuuinShinkei**

**HarunoRin**

**Chiaki Saruwatari**

**Chocolate and caramel**

**Sakra-chan**

**Uzumaki and Hyuuga girls**

**Arisato Aigis**

**glon morski**

**RyoMoonFang**

**yukihane**

**Yuki**

Thank you, thank you so much! I really appreciate your reviews^^. You always make my day brighter than before!

And I hope you readers enjoyed this chap! Again, sorry for the mistakes that you can find…XD

See you next chap! ;)


	18. The Return

Standard Disclaimer Applied.

* * *

"I-Isn't that…?"

Komui, Reever and Johnny stared at the monitor with huge widened eyes, unable to believe that they were actually seeing the person who had left them exactly eight and a half months ago with a hope of bringing them news of a peaceful tomorrow.

But said person can't even stand up straight and was desperately trying to cover the wounds that kept on spilling drops of blood to the cold marbled floors of the gate. If they didn't do something…

Komui suddenly stood up from his chair and quickly took a coat lying at the armrest of the couch in the middle of the room.

"Let's go! We have to help them!" he yelled as he wore the coat.

Reever nodded and also stood up from his seat, quickly catching up to him in a hurry.

"W-Wait!" Johnny yelled to them. "What the hell's happening? Why is –

"Johnny." He was cut off by the Chinese who was sweating so hard it's easy to see that something terrible had happened.

He stared at the young scientist with a forced smile. "Will you go and wake up Lavi and Bookman? Tell them that it's something very important."

There was a moment of silence as Johnny stared at the two obviously nervous men. The supervisor was begging him to just go and not ask any questions, as if saying that he'd better not say anything. He really did have a dozen of questions running wildly in his head. What happened? Why were _they_ there? Why was _he_ heavily wounded?

But he understood. He understood that he's not in the right position to ask right now, and that at least he had been given a chance to help them – whatever it was that was happening. He sighed and nodded at them with a determined face, telling them to go without him.

Komui nodded back in gratefulness and ran off with Reever outside the office and through the halls. They were careful enough not to make too much noise as the last thing they wished was to have the whole Order to see who just arrived and demand for an explanation.

"I have a very bad feeling about this, Komui." Reever managed to blurt. The Chinese didn't say anything.

After a whole five minutes that seemed like five hours, they finally arrived at the main doors. They didn't even stop to catch their breath and immediately pushed open the heavy doors, their eyes immediately settling at the person staggering in his posture.

"ALLEN!"

Reever quickly went to the exorcist and gently took his arm and wrapped it around his shoulder to support him. Allen mouthed a weak "thank you" with a small smile before turning to face the Chinese in front of him.

"K-Komui-san…" he breathed. His eyes narrowed in seriousness. "We need to talk."

Komui took a moment to compose himself before nodding and glancing at the other general who was carrying an unconscious woman. His eyes widened when he realized who it was.

"Shandez!"

"She's still alive." Cross muttered after glancing at the doctor. "But you better treat her immediately. She looked like she lost too much blood."

Allen's brows crinkled. "I'm sorry it took me long to save her. She wouldn't be in that state if I had –

"It's okay, Allen." Komui interrupted with a small smile. "What's important is she's saved, and _you_ are still alive."

He dropped his smile. "We can't talk here. Let's go inside."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Are you ok with just standing there?"

Allen slowly looked up from his position to see his Australian comrade in front of him. Reever was looking at him with worried eyes that continuously traveled to his deep wounds. They were already bandaged but blood still kept seeping through them. It seemed his injuries were deeper than what they thought.

"Please don't worry about me." Allen stated as he leaned more steadily on the wall, his human hand covering his bandaged injuries.

"I'm fine here. Shandez-san needs the couch more than I do. Besides…"

He looked at Komui who was sitting on his desk again.

"I can't waste anymore time. I need to tell you what happened."

"I was about to ask you that." Komui answered. "Take it slowly. We have plenty of time to listen."

Allen nodded and took a deep breath, as if preparing himself to relate everything that he had found out upon his mission to save Shandez. There wasn't even a single sound as the others waited for him to start explaining.

"The woman is –

"Komui!"

Suddenly, the door was opened and in came a red-haired man with an eye patch on his right eye. Behind him were Bookman and a nervous Johnny who kept telling him to quiet down.

Lavi stepped into the office after a long yawn. "Could we talk about this tomorr –

He first noticed Cross Marian who was leaning on the wall to his right. His eyes then traveled to the unconscious woman lying on the couch at the middle of the room. Then finally…

He stared at the heavily bandaged younger male who was also leaning to the wall on his left. The person was also staring at him in surprise.

"Allen?"

"Lavi?"

Silence…

"Allen!" Lavi blurted with a grin after recovering from his shock. "You're finally here! I –"

His eyes wandered to the bandages that covered half of the white-haired exorcist's body. Slowly, the grin from his lips dropped and his eyes narrowed in concern as he stared at his friend. Allen can only give him an uneasy smile.

"Good to see you Lavi."

The redhead nodded slowly. "Yeah. But –

"Wait!"

Everyone suddenly diverted their attentions to the other two people who had just entered the room after recovering from their composure. Bookman closed the door gently while Johnny suddenly felt uneasy under the eyes that waited for him to continue. But he decided not to feel afraid anymore and ask them what he wanted to find out. He won't let himself be shut off from what was really happening.

"Please tell me now…" he started. "What's really going on?"

He glanced at Allen. "Why did Allen suddenly return with General Cross? Why is he wounded like that?"

His eyes moved to the middle of the room. "Who is that woman that they brought?"

Then to Komui. "Why do you seem to be keeping something from _us_?"

Silence…

The Chinese sighed and looked away from Johnny in uneasiness. He almost forgot that the young scientist was with them when they saw Allen and Cross arrive from out of nowhere. Of course, it's to be expected that someone who didn't know will definitely have dozens of questions in his head. And now that it had come to this…

He made eye contact with Allen, asking him if he should tell Johnny all about the current happenings. Personally, he'd rather tell Johnny _and_ the others after he talked with Allen so they could plan out what they can say. But it also depended on what Allen will relate so he needed the young General's opinion.

Allen saw the question on Komui's eyes and he understood. He gave the supervisor a nod before glancing at the scientist.

"You can tell him Komui-san. We'll have to tell even the Vatican anyway."

Lavi and Bookman tensed at the word "Vatican" from Allen's statement. If he said that they needed to tell the most powerful man in their organization, did that mean that the situation's so grave they had no choice but to hand it all to the Vatican's decision? That the Destroyer of Time himself wasn't able to prevent the enemy?

Komui noted about that too but he decided to leave it for later. He diverted his gave at Johnny and gave him a warning from his serious look.

"Listen well Johnny. And please, don't tell anyone about this yet."

After a few minutes…

Komui made the explanation as short but comprehensible as possible to save time. As expected, Johnny found it hard to believe at first and his body was shaking while listening to his Supervisor. But after calming down and recovering from another shock, he finally understood and promised to stay quiet until they tell him it's ok to let go. He had also stated that he will help them with whatever he can help with – to which Allen gladly answered back with a "thank you".

"Ok, now that it's settled…" Komui turned to Allen. "Please continue your report."

The General nodded straightened his pose, choosing to stand without any support as he relayed what happened.

He cleared his throat. "Like what Mona-san told you from her phone call, I came to the mansion where the 'woman' was supposed to be to save Shandez-san. Upon arriving there, I was greeted with a maid-like akuma."

"Maid-like akuma?" Lavi interrupted. "I never heard of that."

Allen nodded. "Yes. That akuma was named Aria and she unusually looked so much like a living human. Another weird thing about her is I can't determine her exact akuma level. I tried seeing her through my cursed eye but her exact power level was blocked. But I'm sure she's not just level one or two. She's a lot stronger than that."

"Hmm…maybe that's a special kind of akuma?" Reever muttered. "And you said she's not just a level one or two.."

Lavi gulped. "Yeah. And to think a level four doesn't look exactly a human…does that mean that akuma was actually…a level five?"

Komui raised a brow. "A level five? We can't say it like that. Besides, there are other akuma that looked like human. For example, the one you encountered during recruiting Crowley…"

"Ah yes, Eliade." Allen nodded. "She did look so humanly it was hard to distinguish her true form during that time. But Eliade was only using that body and her level's easy to determine. But Aria…I'm very sure that what I saw is her _true_ form. With the current evolution of my eye, I can easily determine if she's just using the body and see her true form with her level and other information. But I didn't see anything, as if she's a whole new kind of akuma."

"That may be the only explanation on that." Komui stated as his eyes narrowed.

"Could it be, our enemy's planning to make a different kind of akuma?"

"That's one of her plans." Allen answered. He sighed.

"That 'woman', is named Edea."

The others suddenly perked up at what he said. Bookman raised a brow.

"Edea? In all those years of recording history, I didn't encounter anyone of that name."

"That's because she was put through a sleeping spell by the Earl." The white-haired exorcist stated.

He narrowed his eyes. "Edea claimed to be the mother of the Noah, and the Earl's master."

Gasps.

"What?" Lavi blurted as he jerked off the wall that he'd been leaning on. "Did you just say the Earl's master?"

Allen only nodded. "She said she was the one who originally made the akuma, and the Earl was her best student. But the Earl betrayed her and forced her to sleep for thousands of years. She only woke up when we killed the Earl."

"Ah, shit." The redhead cursed while trying to compose himself. "So there's really another one who wanted world destruction huh?"

Komui was sweating profusely from his desk while his fingers were intertwined so hard anyone could see the slight trembling from his digits. He closed his eyes for a moment as if thinking of what he's supposed to do or say. He opened his eyes when he thought of a significant question.

"General Walker."

Allen recognized the serious tone from Komui's way of calling him.

"Yes, supervisor?"

Komui nodded. "I'm asking you this, hoping you will answer as an honest and true General of the Black Order…"

He paused for a moment as no one said a word.

"Do we have a chance to win?"

Silence…

Lavi, Bookman, Reever and Johnny all looked at Allen nervously. They were also thinking the same thing. Cross, on the other hand, did not bother to listen more attentively. He already knew his former apprentice's answer anyway and he would not object. He himself had a taste of that _woman's _power, so he understood if Allen would answer the same thing that he realized.

Allen dreaded his next statement. "No. With our current strength, we don't stand a chance."

Suddenly, the serious atmosphere inside the office turned into a dark, tensed and hopeless one.

Lavi felt annoyed. "How can you say that?" He turned to Allen.

"I can't believe something like that actually came out from your mouth!"

"Stop that Lavi." Komui cut in. "The General only told us the truth. Nothing will come out if he lied and told us that we have the upper hand."

The redhead gritted his teeth as he narrowed his orbs at his friend.

"Then tell me your reason for telling such a thing!"

Reever and Johnny nodded.

"He's right, General. Please tell us the reason."

"Tell us why, Allen."

Said person was preventing himself to yell at his friends in frustration. He didn't want to say that too and if he could, he would do anything he can to reverse the situation, even going to the past to prevent Edea from waking up. But he knew it's impossible and there's no point of thinking such foolish ways. He knew he had no choice but to face the truth and do something to at least survive the coming ordeal. He had wanted to finish everything quickly so that he could return and face Lenalee with a victorious smile. But he failed and his time's running up. The only thing he could do was to tell them everything before he can be consumed the curse Edea gave him. He just wished his friends could understand his situation.

"I'm saying this as a person who had fought with her so I know." He stated rather sternly.

"That woman is much more powerful than the Earl. Maybe that's the reason why the Earl can only put her to sleep. He could have killed her then, but he didn't. Maybe because he realized his master's more powerful than him."

He stared at Lavi. "I tried to fight, but look what happened to me. And to think she's not even the one who inflicted these wounds."

Komui, Lavi and Bookman changed their expressions.

"What do you mean?"

"One of the reasons why I'm saying we don't stand a chance…" Allen narrowed his orbs.

"…is she _can _and had _already_ revived some of the Noah."

Another chorus of gasps.

"So you're saying there's more than one Noah who was revived?" Lavi sputtered.

"Yes. There are currently three who I've fought." The other exorcist answered. "Lulu Bell, Tyki Mikk, and Rhode Kamelot."

"So she chose to revive the strongest ones…" Bookman remarked.

Allen nodded. "Tyki and Rhode were the ones who did these to me."

"What?" Lavi replied with a rather disbelieving look. "But during the war…you fought them as if they're only akuma….you never had those kinds of wounds. It's only with the Earl that you had so much damage…"

Allen was silent for a moment. "That's the point. I was confident I could defeat them, but I was wrong. They became stronger and more powerful than before. They have new tricks down their sleeves. I didn't even manage to land critical damage on them…"

A moment of silence…

"It's pretty hard to believe…" Johnny muttered. "I mean, _you_ are the one who killed the Earl…"

Allen refused to answer partly from shame. He knew how the whole Order was depending and believing in him so much, and he was trying his best to keep that trust. But with what happened, he wouldn't be surprised if they decided to strip him off his General status.

Suddenly, they heard a yawn.

They all looked to the source of the noise and their eyes landed on the other General who seemed to be getting bored with the long discussion. Cross ignored their uneasy stares and only shrugged.

"I'm getting tired with all your useless doubts." He crossed his arms and looked back at them with a stern expression.

"I'm there and had witnessed everything so I know what that idiot had been through. I also know that it's hard for him to even tell you this kind of story so it would be better if you all just shut up and listen. He's obviously blaming himself for what happened."

"Wait a sec…" Allen frowned.

"You mean to say, you've been there the whole time?"

Cross shrugged again. "Yes, you idiot. I've watched how those two Noah kick your ass multiple times. It was rather enjoying."

Allen's face turned red. "Damn you! You should have shown yourself and helped me!"

"No point in fuming over what-if's." Cross remarked, completely ignoring the intense glare the younger General was giving him. The others could only sweatdrop at them.

Then Johnny remembered what Cross stated before the current dispute with Allen. Upon remembering, he suddenly felt ashamed for what he remarked earlier. He shouldn't have said those words about how it was hard to believe that Allen didn't win against two Noah. He should have realized immediately that his friend had done his best to win. Saying those kinds of words would only make Allen blame himself more.

"General Cross is right." He stated. Allen stopped his glaring session with his former master and diverted his attention to the young scientist.

Johnny smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Allen. I shouldn't have doubted and said those words. I should have believed right away and face it like how you bravely do."

Allen stared at him. "Johnny…" he smiled too. "Thank you…and I'm sorry too…for not winning."

Silence…

Lavi suddenly felt ashamed himself and sighed.

"I'm sorry too." he added without looking at his younger comrade, a small blush on his face. "And don't blame yourself. You don't have any fault in this."

Allen smiled at him, thankful for the understanding that his friends had been giving. He didn't say any further since Komui urged him to continue reporting.

"Anyway," he cleared his throat. "Another thing is Edea has her own ark. It's highly possible that she also has her own akuma egg, or she could have a different source for making akuma."

Komui nodded. "So she's as well equipped as the Earl…"

He sighed and massaged his now aching temples. "Another question, how do you think she managed to revive the Noah?"

Allen thought for a moment. "She did say she's the 'mother' of the Noah so I think there's got to be a connection with that."

"They seemed to be disguising too." He continued. "When I met Lulu Bell, she's a popular actress in the theatre arts. Her appearance was completely different and it took me long to recognize her. I only knew it was Lulu Bell when half of her face was peeled, and I saw that Noah's face there."

Lavi analyzed what he said. "It might be possible that Edea used the body of different humans to help them revive."

"You're right." Cross interrupted. Lavi and Allen looked at him.

"What she did was soul transfer. Using the body of a willing human, she called out the soul of the dead and transferred it inside the body. The original soul will be destroyed, leaving a place for the called soul to remain. It's like giving the dead soul a new body to live in."

He narrowed his eyes. "That kind of runic spell is said to be impossible to do and only lived in stories. If she managed to do that kind of magic, I can't even imagine what else she could do."

There was another moment of silence as each one of them tried to piece everything that they had learned together. They tried to figure out why God even let such a grave situation to happen, and started to ask themselves why they didn't even investigate further into the Earl's origins. If they had found out about Edea earlier, they could…

Komui knew regret would do nothing so he stopped himself from thinking about what-if's. He instead closed himself to regain his calmness and straight-thinking. When he's sure he had regained his composure, he opened his eyes and looked straightly at Allen.

"How about your Noah?"

Allen tensed at the question. He gritted his teeth when he remembered what happened at the mansion, when Edea _almost _turned him into _that person_.

"She wants the 14th to help her with her plans." He answered when he calmed himself.

"But you have the seal General Cross gave you right?" Lavi remarked. Allen shook his head.

"I do. But that woman can call out the 14th even with the seal still in effect. I almost turned into the 14th, good thing he managed to stop her." He explained while raising his thumb to point at Cross. The older General snickered.

"I couldn't help it. Your annoying cries were damaging my ears so I just have to stop Edea."

Allen raised a brow. "So what do you want me to do then, express my gratitude?"

"I don't need your pathetic gratitude, idiot." Cross smirked. "Just be glad that I actually listened to Komui here and came to your rescue."

The white-haired General sighed. "That's almost the same."

The others sweatdropped again at the childish spat between the former apprentice and his former master. They decided to just let them do what they wanted for awhile. Maybe they just missed each other?

When the argument finally went down, Komui resumed supervisor mode and called Allen's attention, intending to ask a few more final questions.

"Is that all, Allen?"

The exorcist nodded. "Edea didn't say if she will attack the Order or if she would stay hidden for a while longer. We could go to that mansion again, but I doubt they'll still be there."

He smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid these are all I got to know, Komui-san."

The Chinese shook his head and finally gave off a smile after the long conversation.

"You did what you could and we're proud of that. And just like what Lavi said, you don't have to blame yourself, or rather, _you_ have no right to blame yourself. This is the Order's fault for not learning about Edea sooner so let the administration make the decisions and take responsibility."

Allen somehow felt relieved with what Komui said. The Supervisor and the others smiled when the General finally let down his stiff composure. After all, they can't imagine what Allen had done just to get the information they needed. They were very much grateful that they had such a reliable comrade like him, and the Vatican made the right decision to send him to the classified mission. It was only the Destroyer of Time who could do it after all.

"So!" Lavi cut in when the tensed atmosphere lessened. "What should we do now?"

Komui stared at Allen. He adjusted his glasses as a spark appeared on the lens.

"Want me to _repair_ you?"

A shudder ran on Allen's spine. He nervously chuckled and shook his head.

"I-Its ok, Komui-san. I can manage without repairs."

"But that innocence of yours looked like it needed my help. It's calling out to me!"

"No, it's really ok! Rest is all I need!"

Allen sighed in relief when Komui seemed to give up and let him off. Speaking of rest, he suddenly felt the fatigue and the call of his body to lie down and sleep as much as he can. But his dizziness only made him want to stay awake more. There's something he needed to do before the curse could consume him, something that he had desired since a few months ago. It was the only thing he wanted.

'_I need to see Lenalee!'_

He looked up straight after feeling the strong desire to see his love. He turned and faced Komui, his eyes deep and narrowed. Komui noticed this and faced him as well. His brows were raised a bit as he wondered what made Allen to have that kind of expression.

"Is something the matter, Allen?"

The exorcist shook his head. "No. It's just that I would like to—

Suddenly, the knob twisted and the door was pushed open without any warning. Lavi, Reever, Johnny and Komui all jerked their heads at the door, asking in their minds why the hell the door was not locked. They silently wished it was not a finder or an exorcist they were not close with, because if the intruding person turned out to be one of those, they wouldn't want to…

"Brother? Are you there?"

They all stared at the person in surprise.

Allen's eyes widened as his lips mouthed a whisper.

"Lenalee…?"

-/-/-

-/-/-

She really appreciated the surprise party the whole Order planned to celebrate the coming birth of her baby. She didn't think they would even think for her to that extent. She was glad she had such a caring and sincere family. They were the only ones who made her life more bearable without Allen by her side.

Lenalee had been missing Allen more and more as her labor date drew nearer. He had never called or sent a mail for her to read since 2 months ago. The lack of communication made her feel the loneliness in a higher degree, so much that she started crying at night again. It was a good thing her child inside her belly was giving her strength and her friends were always there to support and encourage her. That's why she managed to still have a peaceful sleep every night.

So she was utterly surprised when she suddenly had a nightmare the night after the party.

The nightmare was horrible. All she saw was Allen battling a few people whose faces were shadowed. He was having a hard time but didn't give up. He kept on attacking and attacking with his fluid movements, his innocence shining with power. He managed to defeat some but there's still two more left. He was the one who first charged and he released a quick Cross Grave. It seemed that he had won and he turned towards her direction with a smile.

But suddenly, blood trickled from his lips and he collapsed to his knees. His last two foes were still alive and had managed to stab him from the back. His enemies didn't settle with just that. They were laughing maniacally as they posed to…

She remembered screaming his name and jerking up from her sleep. Why would a nightmare as horrid as that would suddenly appear in her sleep? She had stopped having nightmares when they defeated the Earl so she can't think of any reason behind her sudden bad dream that night. It shouldn't mean anything. Unless…

She suddenly had the idea that the nightmare was a sign – a sign that something had happened to Allen while he was away, or something will happen to him soon. She stood up from her bed then, not caring about the coldness the night emitted through the hallways. She needed to talk to Allen. She needed to make sure he's alright and warn him about his life.

So she was rendered shocked upon opening the door to her brother's office. At first, it was because she saw General Cross Marian standing there with Lavi, Reever, Bookman and Johnny. She was about to ask what they were doing there when her eyes landed to a certain person.

His white hair stuck out in messy angles, his clothes were tattered this way and that and half his body were covered in heavy bandages. But that was not what her eyes focused on. Her eyes landed on his very familiar face, and they never left there.

'_Is this real?'_ she breathed inwardly in disbelief, as if trying to convince herself. _'Is he really…?'_

She didn't know when her tears started to flow from her eyes and when she had rushed to him. All she knew was, she heard him whisper her name and suddenly, her arms were tightly around his neck.

"Allen-kun!" she sobbed into his neck. "Is…Is this really you…?"

The others were speechless as they watched the unexpected reunion between their savior and their princess. Komui was twitching his eyebrows because the whole scene was happening right _in front_ of him. But he decided to just stay silent and let them be, especially since his sister was crying almost hysterically in her fiancé's arms.

He sighed and looked at the other occupants of the room. He smiled when they seemed to have the same idea so he nodded and stood up from his chair, silently walking out from his desk and stopping when he was already beside Reever. Cross only shook his head and smirked while he followed the others outside, leaving the two inside to have their private reunion.

Allen smiled gratefully when he saw Lavi's grin before he closed the door gently. He looked down at the trembling form of Lenalee and listened to her muffled sobs on his neck. He closed his eyes as he enjoyed the scent of lavenders from her hair. It really was her. It was really Lenalee. Right in front of him.

Tears formed on his still closed eyes as he ignored the pain from his injuries and reached out to wrap his arms gently around her shoulders, his human hand on the back of her head as he leaned and kissed the top of her hair. It was too good to be true. After a painful eight and a half months of being away from each other, he can finally see her. He can finally touch her. Kiss her. Love her again.

"I'm here Lenalee." He whispered on her hair. "I'm back."

Lenalee sobbed more before slowly moving her head up to look at his face. She slowly smiled at him, tears still brimming on her violet eyes.

"Welcome back, Allen-kun. I missed you."

Allen wanted to hold her tighter, but the bulge on her mid section was preventing him from doing so. He inwardly chuckled and gently pulled away from her but his hands were still on her shoulders. Lenalee looked at him curiously as she wiped her tears with her fingers.

"What's wrong?"

The General only smiled as he lowered his human hand and gently placed it on top of Lenalee's belly. The Chinese woman smiled back with tears as she watched Allen caress her mid section with tenderness.

"My due's next, next week." She told him with a sense of pride. "We've waited a long time. But we'll finally see our child soon."

She looked up to him with a wider smile. "I'm very happy you're already here to welcome our baby."

That particular statement made the white-haired exorcist tensed. He remembered what Edea told him moments before he summoned his ark…

"_I placed a curse on you Allen Walker. A few hours from now, you will be put into a sleep. You will never awake from it…"_

He prevented himself to scowl and had only managed a slight curse in his mind as he tried to suppress his frustration. Several hours huh? It's been at least an hour since he talked with Komui and the others about Edea. So it meant the curse will soon make him sleep, and she told him he will never awake…

He stared at Lenalee's happy face guiltily. How can he tell her that he might not be there to see their child? That his time was limited and he might not see her ever again? He bit his lower lip to stop himself from yelling. Lenalee saw his change in expression and suddenly became worried so she reached out and cupped his face with her hands.

"What's wrong Allen-kun?" she whispered as her eyes traveled to his bandages.

"Do your wounds hurt? Do you want me to change your bandages?"

"No, no. It's not it. Don't worry." He leaned down and embraced her again, just to hide his face from her. Lenalee only hugged him back but her eyes were still narrowed in worry as the scenes in her nightmare resurfaced. Her hands curled on his coat.

"Are you sure? What happened anyway? Why are you injured like that?"

Allen shook his head. "It's nothing. I just…took care of some important stuff. I'll be fine. You really don't have to worry."

Lenalee didn't say anything for a moment. "If there's anything I could do, just tell me. I…I'll do anything to help you."

"Then…" the General kissed her neck. "Just let me stay like this a little longer…"

The female didn't hesitate and nodded as she soothingly ran a hand through his hair. She closed her eyes as she tried to relax herself in their embrace. She would even hold him like that forever if he wanted to.

BOOM!

The sudden noise of a loud explosion caused the two of them to break apart. Allen narrowed his eyes while Lenalee stared at the door worriedly.

"What happened?"

Before Allen could answer, the door burst open and in came Lavi with his innocence activated. He looked straightly at the young General.

"Lavi!" Allen called as he gently pulled Lenalee behind him. "What's going on? Why's your innocence activated?"

"Something's happening at Hevlaska's place! Komui told me to get you!"

Allen gritted his teeth. "Don't tell me…!"

He stepped forward and activated his innocence. He winced slightly in pain as the bandages on his arm were torn off while drops of his blood fell to the floor. Lenalee froze when she saw the red liquid.

"Wait…" she reached out and gripped Allen's human hand. "Wait! Where are you going? Your injuries are –

"I'm sorry Lenalee." He whispered softly as he turned around and gently took his hand away from her hold. He smiled at her.

"I have to go. I need to do this to ensure your safety."

The Chinese woman shook her head as she remembered her nightmare again. "No! You might be in danger! Please just…"

Tears welled up on her eyes. "Just stay here…with me."

Allen would do anything to say "yes" and stay there beside her, to hold her in his arms and never leave again. But he knew that even if he wanted it so much to happen, he can't. He just can't. Not when Edea's still there, and when he's bounded to sleep forever.

"Lenalee."

He took a step towards her and quickly leaned to plant a kiss on her lips. After a few seconds, he broke the contact and rested his forehead on hers, his silver eyes boring through her violet ones.

"I promise, Lenalee." He whispered. "I promise to return to your side."

Lenalee didn't say anything for a moment. "That's exactly what you said 8 months ago."

Allen chuckled. "But I returned didn't I? I know it's selfish of me but I'm promising you again…"

He closed his eyes. "I'll return to your side…even if takes a long time, I will go back to you."

"Allen-kun…"suddenly, tears fell down from Lenalee's eyes.

The General paused. "So please, welcome me with our child when that time comes."

She froze at his last statement so she pulled away from him with the intention of asking him what he meant. But Allen was no longer there when she looked up, leaving only a hint of his scent and the drops of his blood on the floor. She stared at Lavi who was still there, her tear-filled eyes demanding for an explanation. Lavi only looked away.

"I'm sorry too, Lenalee."

And off he went.

-/-/-

-/-/-

Lavi quickly caught up with Allen as they ran through the cold hallways. Many exorcists and finders who woke up from the commotion were surprised to see the white-haired General there but the two chose to ignore them for the meantime.

"Are you sure you can still fight?" Lavi blurted. "I mean, look at your wounds! They're opened!"

Allen smirked. "You're underestimating me Lavi. Do you think these injuries can actually stop me?"

Silence…

Lavi sighed as he shook his head. "I shouldn't have asked you that then." He glanced at his friend.

"What do you mean there earlier? About Lenalee?"

The General narrowed his eyes. "Like I said, I'm just being selfish. I want her to wait for me."

"Wait for you?" the redhead raised a brow. "But you're here already. She doesn't need to wait anymore."

Suddenly, Allen stopped.

Lavi yelped and stopped his tracks too. He looked back at the General with an annoyed frown.

"What the hell was –

"Lavi."

Allen looked at him seriously. "Edea placed a curse on me during our battle."

The other exorcist widened his eyes. "A curse? What curse – Wait, what's that on your forehead…?"

A runic sign appeared on Allen's forehead as he sighed in despair. "So it's starting to work already?"

"Allen! Is that the curse? What's gonna happen to you?"

"According to Edea, this curse will put me to sleep…and I will never wake up from it."

Lavi froze. "What? Does that mean…Lenalee…earlier…"

Allen nodded. "When that time comes, I want you to take care of her and our child for me. I know you will, but I'm still asking you. Please, take care of her…"

There's a moment of silence again as the two men stared at each other in seriousness. Lavi can't believe such a thing was actually happening to his friend. He had endured so much, had experienced pain in both physical and emotional aspects. Then suddenly, when he was finally home, they will find out he was already bound to "die."

'_It's the same as dying!'_ Lavi thought in both wonder and frustration. Why did it have to be Allen? There were so many people there who deserved to suffer much more, so why did destiny have to choose his friends?

He closed his eyes as he forced himself to stay calm. Allen was asking him seriously so he should reply seriously too.

"Alright." He stated as he opened his orbs. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her – no, WE will take care of her."

Allen nodded in gratefulness when he got what his friend meant. "Thank you."

With that, they both dashed again towards Hevlaska's place. Allen smirked when he remembered something.

"Oh, and by the way…" he glanced at the redhead with a warning glare. "Don't you dare make a move on her."

Lavi stared back at him in surprise. He shook his head.

"Being overprotective now, huh?" he smirked. "Even if I do make a move on her, she'll still reject me anyway. You don't have to tell me that."

Allen nodded as he smiled at him. "I'm just clarifying things."

The red head nervously chuckled. _'Somehow, the smile was creepy.'_

BOOM!

They both looked at the direction of the explosion and had quickened their pace.

"Ok, chat's over. We need to hurry." Lavi muttered. Allen nodded.

"Let's go."

They took a sudden right turn and jumped from the sidebars. Lavi used his hammer to extend downwards while Allen used Crown Belt to soften his fall. They didn't waste a second after landing and had dashed towards the inner part of the Order. They didn't have to open the door since it was already destroyed.

"Lavi, Allen!" Komui shouted from his spot. The two exorcists went to him.

"What's happening Komui'san? Why are there explo –

CRASH!

They looked above them to see Kanda thrown to the wall, a big crater on his back. The Japanese fell from there to the rumbles on the floor with a hard thud.

"Kanda!"

"Argh…!" Kanda clutched his bleeding arm as he staggered to his feet, his eyes turning to the people who called him. He raised an eyebrow at the person he saw. He smirked.

"General moyashi. So you finally returned…"

Allen ignored his sarcastic tone. "Kanda, what happened?"

"It's me, Allen Walker."

Smoke cleared from the place as the white-haired General froze at the familiar voice. His widened eyes slowly traveled to the lone figure standing in midair, her green eyes flashing in excitement. Allen gritted his teeth in anger.

"EDEA!

At the mention of the name, Komui, Lavi and the exorcists stared at unfamiliar woman some feet away from them. Lavi gulped as he analyzed the enemy's appearance, never expecting it to be a beautiful woman. But that was not what made him feel fear.

'_Allen's right!'_ he thought in alarm. _'This kind of enormous power is impossible…!'_

"You have interesting exorcists here." Edea stated with a giggle. "I had fun waiting for you, thanks to them."

Allen looked at the fallen exorcists everywhere. He clenched his human fist as his anger escalated.

"What do you want Edea? I told you, I won't hand over the 14th –

"That's not my reason why I'm here." The woman interrupted in an annoyed tone. She smiled at him.

"You see, unlike the stupid Earl, I want to greet and introduce myself to my enemies so that they could get to know the person who will kill them very well."

She clapped her hands. "And now that the guest of honor had arrived, I can now introduce myself~!"

The watching exorcists felt a deep shudder ran down their spine when they saw the evil in her dark green eyes. Edea smirked as she stared down proudly at the exorcists.

"I am called Edea, you poor souls! I will be your next enemy from here onwards! Your pitiful lives will all depend on me now!"

There was silence as the others tried to comprehend what the woman was saying but they pretty much got the idea. Allen was inching to attack her then and there but the glare on Edea's eyes told him to stop. He'll definitely wouldn't survive if he did that.

Edea smirked wider when the 14th's host decided to just stay put.

"The original plan was to attack you in surprise with my lovely Noah and destroy you all." She started.

"But then again, I thought it will be too boring if we kill all of you just like that. That's when I had an idea!"

Dark aura surrounded her. "Since it was thanks to you that I have awakened, I will give something back to show my gratitude."

Suddenly, Hevlaska, who was currently unconscious on the middle ground, was raised to mid air with a movement of Edea's hand.

Allen moved forward. "Hevlaska!"

"Now, now, I won't kill her. Don't worry. I just want something inside of her."

BANG!

Suddenly, her chest had a large hole as a bullet flew through her. The others quickly looked to see where the bullet came from. It was Cross Marian.

"Stop her!" he shouted in panic. "She's planning to set the innocence free!"

"WHAT?"

This time, Allen and his comrades didn't hesitate any longer. They simultaneously charged towards Edea, moving in different angles when they were near her.

"Hmph. Such a nosey brat."

Suddenly, her dark aura increased its radius and the attacking exorcists were all thrown to the walls. Komui watched in horror as the large hole on Edea's chest suddenly went smaller and smaller until it was gone, leaving an unharmed flesh.

"You think you can stop me with that?"

Hevlaska was suddenly screaming as she was also engulfed with the dark aura. Allen and the others can only watch in anger as their comrade writhe in pain from Edea's control.

"I'm giving you a chance, exorcists. I will free the innocence that you have collected so far and will send them to different parts of the world, just like long ago."

She smiled when Hevlaska was finally forced to release the innocence. There were suddenly numerous rays of blinding light as all the innocence went out from Hevlaska's body.

"We're both going to hunt the innocence. The one who first finds the Heart wins~!"

She smirked at them. "Isn't that great?"

The innocence simultaneously scattered away from the H.Q., rays of light invading the dark sky as if they were just falling stars. Edea laughed as she let go of Hevlaska, her eyes sparkled upon seeing the hopelessness in her enemies' eyes.

"Do not worry. For I also don't know where those innocence landed."

She turned to the white-haired General. "This is all, Allen Walker. Until we meet next time."

Allen didn't say anything as he stared at her with a menacing glare. Edea only smirked more.

"Sweet dreams~!"

She slowly vanished after that, until there was no sign of her.

It took several minutes before the exorcists managed to recover from their shock and fear. They didn't know the enemy was as powerful as that, even managing to force the innocence out from Hevlaska's protection, as if the innocence was nothing for her. It was then they realized that they really were nothing compared to their enemy. Edea could easily destroy them.

Allen was trembling from anger and frustration. He was angry for what had happened and frustrated at himself for allowing that to happen. How can he just stand there and watch as Edea did what she pleased? How can he just fail like that again?

BA-THUMP.

Suddenly, his vision doubled as an overwhelming dizziness started to ran through his head. He cursed as he deactivated his innocence and had collapsed on his knees. He placed his hands on his head as he opened his eyes as wide as possible to prevent them from closing.

'_The curse!'_ he gritted his teeth _'Damn it!'_

Komui glanced at Allen and widened his eyes at the General's state. He was about to run to him when Lavi beat him to it. The redhead quickly kneeled in front of his friend in worry.

"Oi, Allen! Get a hold of yourself!"

He gripped his innocence hand and took it away from his head, revealing the now long row of runic signs on his temples.

"A-Allen…! Your curse…!"

Allen didn't say anything as he struggled to stay awake. He can't sleep just now! He had to see her! Even just for a fleeting second! He had to see Lenalee!

"Allen-kun!"

Suddenly, all eyes were on the woman at the destroyed wall, her hand on the concrete as she caught her breath and her orbs looking around as if finding something. The crimson armor on her legs suddenly diminished, leaving red circlets on her anklets.

"Lenalee!" Komui shouted as he ran to his sister to help her walk.

"Why are you here? And why did you use your innocence? It could be dangerous for the baby in your condition!"

Lenalee ignored her brother's yells as her eyes landed on the two crouching males a few feet away from her.

"Allen-kun!" she called.

Lavi was shocked to see Lenalee there. He turned to Allen and leaned to him.

"Lenalee's here, Allen. She's looking for you."

There was no response for a moment until the General nodded. Lavi then stood from his position and walked a few steps away from him, just enough to let Lenalee see her fiancé.

Allen then took a deep breath as he tried to see straight. His vision improved a bit then so he decided to stand up. He moved slowly and staggered to his feet, his other hand still on his head. Upon standing though, his dizziness escalated but he prevented himself to collapse. Not yet. Not when Lenalee's there waiting for him.

He slowly turned to face her and let go of his head, letting his long bangs cover most of the runic signs. He tried to focus to get a better sight of Lenalee. After a few seconds, the curse allowed him to have a clear look once more so he was able to see his love clearly. He immediately memorized every feature she had.

He smiled as he took note of the violet eyes that never failed to captivate him, her long eyelashes, the rosiness of her cheeks and the pinkness of her soft lips. She was indeed very beautiful, even with the tears that kept showing up at the sides of her eyes.

And he was glad he was given a chance to be loved by a person as beautiful as her- in both inside and outside appearance. He was glad someone like her had accepted him wholeheartedly, someone who was willing to stay by his side no matter what.

He was glad to that he came to know and love her. He was happy he came to experience wonderful things with her. She was the one who made him realize that he had the capacity to live happily, to think of a beautiful future with her and their child. It was the happiest thing that happened in his life.

And he would still love her. He will always love her. She will be the only one in his dreams- her and their child, the people that he will think about again and again, and again.

Darkness started to invade his corner sight as he continued to stare at her, the smile still on his lips.

"I love you."

He finally muttered. She didn't have any reaction for awhile until she smiled. Yes, she smiled. He was even gladder then. At least she smiled for him. Even if it might be the last time for him to see her smile.

The darkness continued to invade his sight until the only thing he could see was Lenalee's face. It was then that tears started to flow from his orbs. He hated it. He hated what was happening, how fate seemed to be trying on separating the two of them.

But he was also tired of fighting. He didn't want to fight any longer, at least for awhile. He wanted to rest. He will use the curse to rest his tired soul. And when he had recovered completely, he will force himself to wake up. He will do anything to see her again.

So he continued to smile at her, the darkness consuming all of his sight except a tiny light, a light that was Lenalee.

"I'm sorry."

Lenalee watched as Allen closed his eyes and collapse to the ground. Her body froze while it all happened in slow motion for her. Lavi and the others were rushing towards Allen, asking him what had happened. But Allen wasn't moving. He just lay there, body stiff and unmoving, his eyes closed.

She just stood on her spot the whole time, not moving a muscle. The only thing that moved from her was the tears that started to flow when he collapsed. What happened? Why wasn't Allen moving? Why was he laying there on the ground as if…as if he's…dead.

'_No…'_

Her lips began to tremble.

'_NO!'_

She bit her lip and shouted.

"NO!...ALLEN!"

That was when she suddenly felt her feet and she stepped forward to run to him. But Komui held her arm and stopped her from going. Lenalee cried in frustration as she tried to free her arm.

"No! Let go of me brother!" she glanced at him, angry. "Let me go to him!"

"Stop it Lenalee!" Komui shouted at his sister. "You're not in the right shape right now! What if the baby –

"Let me go! Let me - !"

She suddenly stopped as she felt a constricting pain on her mid section. Komui stopped also and loosened his grip a little, his eyes watching his sister.

"Lenalee?"

The Chinese woman suddenly started to collapse. Komui was quick enough to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Lenalee! What's...What happened?"

"B-Brother…" Lenalee whispered as she breathed heavily. "It-It hurts…"

She looked down at her legs and saw blood seeping from her. She gasped.

"I… I think the baby's coming…"

Komui froze. "What? But your labor should be next…"

He glanced at her and saw the small trail of blood coming from between her legs. He narrowed his eyes as he whipped his head to the direction of the other exorcists.

"LAVI!"

The redhead turned to look at the one who called him and widened his eyes when he saw Lenalee on the ground, her chest heaving up and down as she struggled to breathe. He quickly ran to them.

"What happened to Lenalee?"

Komui stared at him in alarm.

"The baby's coming."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Lenalee, hold on, it will be fine soon."

After the ordeal with Edea, Lenalee was immediately rushed to the hospital wing of the headquarters. The matron confirmed that it was indeed time for Lenalee's delivery even if it was two weeks early from her due date.

Komui stared down at his sister in worry as the matron prepared the things needed for the delivery. Lavi, Reever and Miranda were also there. Lenalee groaned as the painful contractions increased by the minute. She opened her eyes and stared at her brother and friends who were all looking down at her in anxiousness.

"D-Don't worry…I can make it."

She breathed deeply as the image of her fiancé flashed in her mind. She closed her eyes to prevent another batch of tears from falling.

"Allen-kun…"

Komui smiled at his sister.

"Allen's safe, Lenalee. He's still alive. He's currently being treated now."

A few tears still escaped from her orbs as the female exorcist chuckled in relief.

"Thank God…!"

The matron then stepped towards them and glanced at Lenalee. She placed a hand on Komui's shoulder.

"Supervisor, it's time to leave now. Me and Miranda will be taking care of her from here on."

Komui nodded and glanced at Lavi who also nodded. The redhead looked at Lenalee and gave her a grin.

"Do your best Lenalee!"

The woman smiled at him as she watched the two men leave the room. When the door was finally closed, Miranda went there to lock the knob.

"Ok." The nurse started as she stretched out Lenalee's legs. She inspected her more for a minute until she was sure what she had to do.

"We have to do this fast." She muttered at the pregnant woman. Lenalee nodded at her.

The nurse looked at Miranda. "Go behind her and support her shoulders."

The other female nodded too and went to her best friend. She mouthed a "God bless you" to her. Lenalee struggled to give her friend a smile.

"We're going to start." The matron stated. "When I say push, you push as hard as you can. Ready?"

Lenalee breathed more as if to compose herself. "Yes."

"Ok…push!"

Lenalee released a loud cry as she pushed, she can feel her bottom being torn open as something slippery slipped from her a bit. The matron breathed heavily. She can see the baby's head.

"Good, but I need you to push harder ok? Now…push!"

This time, Lenalee screamed in agony as she felt her bottom tore open once more. The pains came faster now as she screamed again. She was arching her back, and Miranda was having a hard time pushing her shoulders to the best.

"Push Lenalee!"

"Push."

"Push."

Lenalee didn't know a pain such as what she was feeling actually existed. It wasn't like the pain she had experienced during battles. Her pain now was much more excruciating. It was fierce and savage. But she had to endure it. She had to endure it for her child…for Allen.

She screamed much louder than before and pushed as hard as she can manage. Suddenly, something wet slid between her legs. She lay back, panting as she didn't move.

"Good job, Lenalee." The matron stated as she looked at her with a smile.

"We have her here now."

Lenalee panted more as she looked up at Miranda who nodded and went to the matron. Her eyes suddenly dropped down half-close.

"Her…?"

"Yes." Miranda answered her joyfully. "You have a baby girl, Lenalee-chan!"

A smile slowly crept to her lips as she breathed more. A girl. She had a baby girl. Her and Allen's first child was a beautiful girl – their daughter.

She wanted to go see her daughter so much, to hold her and kiss her on her forehead. But fatigue consumed her completely and she stopped thinking. She closed her eyes and let slumber took the better of her.

Miranda gasped when she saw Lenalee's closed eyes. She was about to get worried when she noticed the unconscious female's chest went up and down with her breathing. She sighed in relief then. For a moment, she thought her best friend might die from giving birth. She was about to go tuck the blanket to Lenalee's shoulder when the matron called her.

"Miranda." The female exorcist stopped from her tracks and looked at her.

"Yes?"

The nurse stared at her seriously. "Call the supervisor, now."

Miranda noticed how the matron sweated nervously but she did what she was told and called Komui inside. Once they were in the room, the Chinese quickly went to the nurse.

"Matron, how's the labor?"

The nurse was silent for a moment.

"Lenalee did well. She's resting now."

Komui sighed in relief then turned to the nurse in excitement.

"And the baby?"

That was when the matron faced them with almost teary eyes.

"The baby's not breathing."

* * *

**AN**: As promised, here is Chap 18 updated sooner than the previous chap! I was really glad about the reviews I got from you people (I thought you had already forgotten about this fic…XD) so I updated with another extra long chapter!^^

Anyway, thank you to the following people:

**glon morski** – thank you for all the compliments, and yes, rhode did get stronger in this!

**Coralian Exorcist** – you don't have to injure me now! XD Thank you, thank you!^^

**Uzumaki and Hyuuga girls** – hmm…the Earls is already dead here so Edea is their main enemy now. Too bad Allen's not there during Lenalee's labor T.T

**Sakra-chan** – good to see you again! And thank you once more!

**yukihane **– hmm…maybe you just have to wait and see? Anyway, thank you for dropping a review!

**Chiaki Saruwatari **– I'm glad Allen finally returned to H.Q. too…but he ended up sleeping…XD

**Astaline Nihtingale **– and here's chapter 18! Thanks!^^

**KyuuinShinkei** – about Cross…well, as you can see he didn't have much part here. That's because, I only intended him to be just the back-up…XD anyway, I still hoped you enjoyed this chap as much as you enjoyed the previous one!^^

**Starforce119** – thank you! And I hope you can continue to read this!

**signrain** – yes, yes, thanks!^^

**Kalana Fox** – wow, nice to see you again! And I'm glad you enjoyed the last chap!^^

**RyoMoonFang** – Sorry, Allen ended up sleeping here…XD and you rock too!^^

**grace** – thanks!

**EmoSquirrelProductions** – thank you too for reading my fic!^^

**yuki** – and I will mention you again. Thank you for reviewing the last chap!^^

**Jooeeyy** – Thank you! You're awesome too!^^

So yeah. I'm pretty tired now so I'm going to sleep (since it's already 2 in the morning!) Thank you again for reading and reviewing. I do hope you will still read the next though (considering what happened in this chap…XD) and sorry for the mistakes.

See you next update!^^


	19. The Farewell

Standard Disclaimer Applied…

* * *

Edea's sudden intrusion at the Main H.Q. had caused a surprising minimal damage in the building – much to Komui's relief as they wouldn't have to move to another building again just like in their first confrontation with a level-four akuma years ago. Nonetheless, it was not what he should be worrying about. Aside from the almost unending questions from the exorcists and finders who didn't know about their new enemy, the current situation with his sister should also be taken note of.

Especially her child.

He didn't know how Lenalee will react once she knew. It was unfortunate that her child suddenly had that kind of fate, considering that she and Allen had wished for their child to live happily. But with what happened just a few hours ago, their wish would be utmost impossible.

"M-mmhmm…"

Komui readily lifted his head from his thoughts and quickly looked at his sister. She was moaning as if she's in pain and her eyebrows were creased. He watched in anticipation as she slowly opened her lids and revealed her violet orbs to him.

Lenalee took a few blinks to adjust her eyesight from the dim lights of the room. The first thing she saw was the dirty white ceiling as she struggled to remember where she was. With the slight smell of blood though, and the continuous beeping of a machine, she suddenly remembered what took place there before she lost consciousness.

She immediately jerked up from the bed but felt pain from her head and lower sections. Komui had also stopped her from sitting up and gently pushed her back to the bed.

"N-Nii-san…" she whispered weakly as Komui gave her a small smile.

"Just stay in the bed. The matron said you need to rest for another day."

The Chinese woman just nodded, her eyes slowly traveling to different parts of the room as if she's trying to find something. Komui saw this and tensed slightly. He knew what his sister's looking for.

"Brother…" Lenalee whispered again, this time her eyes narrowing in worry and wonder.

"Where's my baby?"

The question was indeed what the supervisor expected. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for something. If he was given a choice, he wouldn't let her see her child until further tests had been made on the baby. But since he can feel the anxious gaze coming from his sister's eyes, he decided to just give in and let her see her daughter.

He stood up from his chair beside her bed and slowly walked to the half of the room that was hidden by a curtain. He opened the partition of the curtain in the middle and entered without much of a sound. After a few moments, he went out of there as he looked at Lenalee with a smile. A small bundle covered in cloths was wrapped gently by his arms.

Lenalee excitedly sat up against her pillow as her eyes stared at the bundle Komui's carrying. She didn't even let her brother sit as she reached out for her baby the moment Komui's beside her. The supervisor can only smile more as he gently gave the baby to her mother.

"Oh my god…" Lenalee choked with tears as she took a look at the sleeping face of her daughter.

She traced a finger along her child's cheek as she felt the warmth of life just from that single touch.

"This is really her…" she muttered as if she found it hard to believe. "This is my child…"

Yes, she still can't believe she was now holding her daughter in her arms, her beautiful daughter who she had waited for eight and a half months. She had been wondering in all those months how it would feel for her to hold her baby, how her child would look like once she opened her eyes. And now, as she embraced her daughter to her, she realized she really can't describe the feeling. The only thing she knew was the immense happiness that flowed through her just by seeing her child.

Komui can't help but be happy for his sister while he watched her sob and smile in happiness. Lenalee's eyes didn't leave the baby's face and for a moment, he wondered if she had forgotten all about him. He was tempted to leave her there for a moment and let her savor the moment with her daughter. But the truth of the circumstances was more important so he chose to stay. He had to tell her now before she could hear it from somebody else.

"Lenalee."

Fortunately, his sister still knew that he was there so she immediately looked at him with a smile, her eyes asking if there was something he wanted to say. He nodded and pulled his chair closer to her, his eyes narrowed in seriousness.

"About your child…"

Lenalee's smile dropped a little at the seriousness of his voice and at the mention of her daughter.

"What is it?"

Komui sighed. "There's something you need to know."

-/-/-

-/-/-

Approximately 5 hours ago…

"W-What do you mean the baby's not breathing?"

Komui suddenly felt a sense of dread as he unconsciously grabbed the old woman on the shoulders in alarm. His eyes were wide in surprise and anxiousness while the matron only stared at him in shame and helplessness.

"It's what I said. I tried everything I can to make her breath but there's still no pulse."

Komui shook his head. "No…" he glanced at the unmoving baby placed at the bed beside Lenalee.

"Are you saying my niece is dead?"

Miranda was already sobbing uncontrollably while her eyes diverted from the baby to the nurse, as if asking the older woman to say otherwise. The matron only stayed silent from their demands as she looked away. She would want to say the opposite, but what would it do? The fact was still the same. The baby's not breathing.

Miranda sobbed more. "H-How can this happen…? What will we say to L-Lenalee-chan…?"

Komui was silent as he prevented his own tears to fall. Miranda's right, how will they tell Lenalee? Or rather, did they even have the courage to actually tell her? After what she had been through, after what happened to Allen and the Order, was it even appropriate to tell her something as horrible as her baby's "death"?

"Have you really tried everything?" the supervisor asked in haste. The matron nodded.

"Yes, based on my knowledge."

Komui's ears perked. "Based on your knowledge?"

The old woman nodded again. "I don't have much experience with pregnant women after all. I only did what I heard and knew."

"So you're saying there might be another way?"

"Actually, there is."

Miranda suddenly stopped crying as she as Komui stared at the matron, dumbfounded. Komui felt annoyed.

"Then what are you doing just standing there? What is this way you're saying?"

The other female sighed in frustration. "CPR can save her! I do know how to do it with adults, but the patient is a baby! I don't know how to do it with a baby so if I went ahead and did it without knowing the right procedure, I might have killed her!"

There was silence for a moment until Komui released his grip on the nurse.

"Damn." He muttered under his breath. "What are we going to do?"

"If only there's someone who knows how to –

"I know how."

Suddenly, they all turned to the door to see a serious Lavi and a woman who was already making her way inside the room. Komui widened his eyes.

"Shandez!"

Shandez didn't answer as she swiftly walked to the bed where the baby was laid. The others followed her while Lavi stayed by the door.

"Sorry for suddenly entering." The redhead muttered nervously. "The door was unlocked and we heard you so…anyway, I'm just gonna be outside."

He glanced at the sleeping Lenalee for a moment before going outside and closing the door. Komui understood then glanced at the doctor.

"Shandez, why are you up? You should be resting more."

"I'm fine Komui." Shandez replied without looking at him. "I woke up after I heard the commotion outside. I saw Lavi-kun around and asked where you are so I went here."

She gently ran her fingers in different parts of the baby's body, as if examining her.

"Anyway, we don't have time to waste. If you want to save her, do as what I say."

No one spoke a word then as they did what they had been told. Miranda isolated half of the room to separate Lenalee and the baby for the meantime. The matron placed a clean blanket on a table before Shandez and Komui gently laid the unmoving child on it. Without waiting for any confirmation, Shandez leaned towards the baby and covered its mouth and nose with her own mouth.

She gave a small puff of air from her mouth and waited for a couple of seconds before doing it again. She did it for five times before pulling away and checking the baby's pulse.

"I'm gonna try again." She muttered almost frustratingly when there's still no sign of life.

By that time, the other three people decided to just stand there and watch the doctor do her job in anticipation. Komui was begging God in his mind as his eyes never left the little child who remained still. The baby needed to live! For her mother as well as for her father who was also in a grave situation, she had to live.

'_Please, please! Let her live! I beg You!'_

When Shandez did the final puff, she quickly pulled away and checked the baby's pulse again, this time taking longer than the first time. The others noticed this and suddenly, their anxiousness escalated to a higher degree. Komui stepped forward when he can't take it anymore.

"Shandez." He blurted, his body almost shaking. "How…how's my niece?"

The doctor didn't move for a moment until she turned her head to them, a small smile on her lips.

"We got her pulse."

Miranda's knees suddenly weakened and she collapsed to the floor in a sitting position. Another set of tears started forming on her eyes while she repeatedly muttered the phrase "thank god" over and over again. Komui and the matron were almost crying in relief with the news, both also thanking the above for the salvation of the baby.

But their relief was cut short when Shandez's smile dropped and her eyes narrowed down at the small child.

"She's breathing now, but her pulse is so weak. She's having a hard time to even take in some air and she's still not moving."

Komui unconsciously gulped after hearing what Shandez said.

"Then what do you think is the problem?"

The doctor hesitated. "I think there's something wrong with either her lungs or heart. We have to examine her as soon as possible."

"What?" the Chinese felt afraid again. "Are you saying there might be an abnormality?"

"I'm still not sure." Shandez answered then turned to him. "Do you have a CT scan here or anything of that sort?"

Komui thought for a moment. "We don't have a CT scan here. But I believe we do have something similar to that." He suddenly turned around towards the door.

"I'm gonna ask Reever."

Shandez nodded. "Make it quick!"

Upon opening the door, Komui wasn't surprised to see Reever and Johnny there. They both rushed to him when he closed the door.

"I heard form Lavi. How's the baby?"

Komui sighed. "The baby's breathing now, but her pulse is barely there. Shandez believes there's a problem in the heart or lungs so we have to examine her."

He didn't let the section chief reply when he spoke again after his pause.

"Do you remember the machine that we made just last year? The x-ray machine that we upgraded?"

Johnny suddenly paled. "X-scanner 2000? But we hadn't tried it on babies before! What if –

"Then we're going to try now." The Chinese answered rather sternly. "That's the only equipment we have that can help my niece so we're going to use that."

He faced Reever. "Where did you guys hide it?"

"Since it's useful, we just stored it in your lab." The Australian replied as he pulled Johnny.

"We're going to get it now so just wait here."

Komui didn't have the chance to say his thanks as the two scientists already dashed out through the hallways. After less than five minutes, the two returned while pushing a cart-like contraption covered with an opaque plastic. They didn't waste any more time as they quickly set-up the machine and used it to examine the baby. To their relief the machine was working perfectly and even less than a minute, they had the printed result in their hands.

They let Shandez to analyze the result since she's a doctor and was more reliable when it came to medical stuff. At first, they were waiting patiently for her diagnose but when they noticed her tensed composure while looking at the scans, they didn't wait any longer.

"What does it say?" Komui asked anxiously. Shandez glanced at him for a moment before flipping the paper around to show them the result.

"Almost three fourths of her heart's not there."

Silence…

The other people stood there in shock as they stared at the scan in disbelief. Reever took the paper from her and stared at it as if to convince himself.

"But that's impossible! How can she even be alive with this kind of heart?"

He turned to Shandez. "She should be dead by now!"

"That's what supposed to be." The doctor muttered with widened eyes. "But look! The baby's breathing even though it's almost impossible for her! This is practically a miracle!"

Miranda clenched her fists nervously. "T-Then, is she still going to be alright?"

The question made the others shut their mouths in silence. They already knew the answer but they still hoped there's something they could do.

"The baby won't last long."

They all turned to Komui who suddenly spoke in a helpless tone. He was looking down as if depressed but a sad smile was on his lips. The others still didn't say anything since they understood the supervisor. Komui had given up. There's nothing they could do anymore then.

However, Miranda refused to accept what they were implying. She had witnessed how Lenalee had been eagerly waiting for her child, how her best friend had been sharing about the dreams she had with her and Allen's baby. Lenalee was so happy while telling her those things but with what was happening, she wouldn't even want to tell her. There had to be some way to save the child! Anything that can help the baby live more!

"Doctor…" she muttered to Shandez. "I-Isn't there a way to prolong her life?"

Tears suddenly flowed from her eyes. "Please! Anything that can save her!"

Shandez bit her lip and looked away. She can't look at Miranda's crying face.

"The only thing that can save her now is a heart transplant. But that's also nearly impossible. We don't have any donors here and even if we go along the operation, the chances for her to survive are less than 50%, especially since she's a newborn child."

She looked down. "I'm very sorry for Lenalee, but there's nothing we can do for her baby now. It's a miracle that her daughter is still breathing and we should be thankful for that. But that's all there is to it. Given her condition, the most time she could stay alive would be 2 hours."

Miranda can't bear it anymore and had collapsed again on the floor. Her hands were tightly placed on her face as she muffled her cries. Johnny was already crying too while Komui, Reever, Shandez and the matron still remained silent.

"Are we going to wake Lenalee up now?"

Reever whispered rather weakly after a whole minute of no one speaking. The question was spoken towards Komui and they waited for his answer.

"No." he finally stated when he thought about it. "I can't let her watch her daughter die in her arms. It's better for her to learn the truth later when she wakes up."

The others didn't argue any longer because they understood the supervisor's reasons for making such a decision. Lenalee already experienced enough traumas that day, especially regarding Allen. She saw how her fiancé had fallen from battle and they're pretty sure she already had an idea about Edea. If they would let her see her daughter live and die in her arms, who knew what would happen to the poor exorcist?

"Komui!"

Suddenly, the door burst open and in came Lavi who was sweating while catching his breath from running. He didn't let them ask his purpose for coming there when he immediately stepped in and spoke out.

"Hevlaska wanted to see you. She said it's very important and you have to go there now."

The Chinese seemed annoyed at the sudden intrusion.

"What is it exactly all about?"

Lavi narrowed his eyes.

"It's about the innocence."

-/-/-

-/-/-

Lenalee didn't know what to say after her brother paused with his explanation. She stared down at her daughter in her arms – her daughter who was breathing calmly while she slept. Her baby was even warm to her touch and her cheeks were colored with an adorable pink - the signs of life. But her brother was saying something different. If her child was really meant to die, then why was her baby breathing as if there wasn't a problem in the first place?

Komui saw the question in his sister's eyes and decided to continue with his explanation. He had paused primarily to see her reaction and would decide if he should continue or just tell her later. But since Lenalee seemed to be taking everything rather calmly, he supposed he can continue now.

"Lenalee." He called her attention. His sister did look up to him albeit the slight fear in her eyes.

"The reason why your daughter's alive…"

He closed his eyes as if to prepare himself.

"…is the innocence."

Lenalee tensed then narrowed her eyes as she unconsciously embraced her baby closer to her. She already knew what her brother's going to say but she still felt compelled to ask. Maybe it was different from what she was thinking.

"What do you mean brother?"

Komui sighed.

"We thought all the innocence was freed by our new enemy. But to our shock, one innocence had remained inside Hevalska. She said that innocence wasn't affected with the dark matter the enemy released that forced her to release the others."

He glanced at the baby.

"That innocence was the very first one retrieved since the foundation of the Black Order and had been sleeping inside Hevlaska for a century. When I arrived there, Hevlaska said the innocence was reacting for the very first time…"

"_Hevlaska, Lavi said you have something to tell me about the innocence."_

"_That's right." _

_Hevlaska leaned down to Komui despite her weakened state. She paused for a moment._

"_Komui, not all the innocence had been freed."_

_The supervisor widened his eyes. "What? Really? How many are there?"_

"_There's only one that remained. " The female exorcist answered. "Innocence #1."_

_Komui raised a brow. "That's the most ancient innocence. The one recorded to be 'unwilling' because it won't let us examine its composition…"_

"_Yes. But now, it's reacting."_

"_What?" The Chinese gulped. "After hundreds of years, it's finally reacting…that's good news, so what's the matter?"_

_The female paused before answering. "The innocence wants to get out from me. I was thinking it might be because it finally found its accommodator. But there's also the possibility that it will hide itself just like the others."_

_She stared at Komui. "I want to ask your decision regarding this Komui. Are we going to let the innocence out or not?"_

_The supervisor didn't answer right away as he analyzed his options. That innocence was the only one that wasn't freed. If he did allow it to go out but ended up hidden again like the others, then it's his mistake and he will be the one responsible for that. But what if the reaction was caused by an accommodator nearby? _

_He sighed when he already made a decision. He looked up to Hevlaska with a serious expression and a nod._

"_We're taking the risk. Free the innocence Hevlaska. If it goes away from here, I'll take responsibility."_

_Hevlaska nodded then opened the chamber, revealing the one and only innocence inside her body. It was shining a golden glow before it went out of the female exorcist._

_To their surprise, the innocence took a left turn through the hallways, as if following a certain road._

Lenalee creased her brows when her brother paused again. She embraced her child tighter, causing the baby to squirm from her hold but still remained sleeping. The sudden action made her surprised so she leaned down and placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead. She whispered a gentle "I'm sorry" before facing her brother again. Her face was still serious.

"Nii-san, are you saying…?"

Komui only nodded to her and reached out to pat the baby's head tenderly, as if telling her to sleep more.

"I was wondering why the innocence didn't move away from here so I quickly followed it to see where it was going. I was shocked when it went inside your room and stopped just above _her_."

_He stopped running upon watching the innocence enter the clinic in a swift turn. What was the innocence doing there? When he composed himself, he finally went inside the clinic and was dumbfounded to see the glowing innocence floating a few inches on top of his struggling niece._

"_K-Komui." Shandez called in slight alarm. "Why is an innocence…?"_

_Lavi suddenly cut in. "Wait, don't tell me it's…!"_

_They watched in further shock when the innocence glowed more and suddenly melted into a golden goo. It fell right on the baby's chest then suddenly disappeared as if it was absorbed, leaving a glowing green cross on her chest. For a moment, no one was moving until the baby released a cry as she started flinging her little arms and legs in different directions. Her cries forced the adults to break from their thoughts._

"_I'll go check her!" Shandez blurted, still in slight shock. Miranda and the matron followed her to assist._

_Reever turned to Komui with narrowed eyes. _

"_Komui."_

_The Chinese slowly faced him, his eyes still widened._

"_The innocence chose her as its accommodator…"_

"_Good news!" Shandez suddenly interrupted with a laughing tone. Small tears were on her eyes._

"_I don't know how it happened, but the baby's breathing normally now!"_

Lenalee pulled down the cloth wrapping her baby's chest to see the said glowing green cross engraved on her daughter's young skin. She bit her lip as she prevented herself to sob. This was not what she wished for her child.

"Oh brother…" She muttered in sadness. "Even if I'm very thankful for the innocence, I can't help but be frustrated."

She wiped her eyes when she can't stop the tears anymore.

"I don't want her to be an exorcist! I don't want her to experience what I have been through! I…"

She leaned down and pulled her child closer to her, never minding when it started to squirm again.

"…I don't want her to get hurt…!"

Komui nodded sadly as he reached out and placed a comforting hand on Lenalee's head. He caressed her hair in an affectionate manner, as if comforting her. He understood his sister's despair over the matter and if there's anything he can do to change the situation, he would do it. But even if there's something he could do, the facts would still remain the same. His niece's now an exorcist, a special kind at that.

"When we scanned her again, we were shocked to see that her heart was already whole. The innocence had taken over the whole organ to the point where no sign of the human heart can be found. The innocence was the one that's keeping her alive. If we are to take it away, she will automatically die."

"So you're saying it's a parasitic type innocence?" Lenalee responded when she recovered.

Komui nodded. "That's the only explanation." He sighed.

"And since the innocence is acting as the heart, big changes in her body will definitely appear."

The female gulped. "What kind of changes?"

"As of now I don't know." The supervisor answered as he looked down. "But the first change we saw was her blood."

"What about her blood?"

"Since the heart pumps out the blood needed by our body, we took a sample of her blood to see if there were changes. Her blood is still colored red and looks, smells, and feels like how it should. But when we tried to figure out her blood type, it didn't match any."

He glanced at the baby. "Shandez said that parts of her blood were already invaded with a foreign composition from the innocence. There's a very high chance that when she grows up, her blood will be completely taken over by the foreign composition, making it an inhuman kind."

Lenalee didn't like how her brother inserted the word "inhuman". It was as if saying her child was not human at all.

"What will happen to her if her blood is completely changed?"

Silence…

Komui shook his head. "I don't know."

He watched the baby squirm more in her mother's arms while his sister tried her best to comfort her child in its sleep. He smiled when he finally realized that his sister's really a mother now and had an adorable baby to take care of.

His smile dropped when he remembered the other thing he should be telling his sister, and he hoped she could take it as lightly as she accepted the truth about her daughter.

"But I'm hoping you're already strong enough to take care of your baby."

He stated proudly as he looked at his sister. Lenalee looked back at him with a smile.

"I survived those years of fighting akuma because I have people who I want to protect."

She leaned down and kissed her baby again.

"My strength came from my desire to protect the ones I love. As long as I can protect my daughter, I will be able to take care of her."

"Then that's good!" Komui remarked with cheerfulness, hoping it can mask what he would say next.

"I can see that you can support your child even if you're alone."

Unfortunately for the supervisor, Lenalee's hearing was sharp and she tensed at the last word that escaped from his lips. She suddenly felt there was something wrong despite the cheery tone of her brother and she won't let him out until he told her.

"Nii-san." she stated with narrowed but afraid eyes. "What do you mean 'alone'?"

Komui looked away from her eyes and contemplated if he really should tell her. After all, she just had recovered from her shock about her daughter being an accommodator already. But she was glaring at him now, demanding what it was that he was implying.

'_You have to tell her, Komui!'_ he scolded himself. _'Even if it's painful, you have to tell her!'_

"Brother?"

He braced himself for what he was about to say and carefully took her hand, enclosing it with both his. He gulped and slowly spoke.

"It's about Allen."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Aww. Look at her! She looks so much like her mother!"

The news of the baby had spread around the Order even with the damages around their headquarters and soon almost all the free exorcists, finders, and scientists had been visiting the hospital ward to see the baby.

"So cute!"

Lavi squealed as he resisted the urge to open the incubator and take the baby in his arms. It wasn't his first time to see a newborn child, but it was so long since he last saw one and now that he's actually in front of a baby – a very pretty one at that, he can't help but be excited.

"I wonder how she'll look like when she grows up…"

He yelped when he felt something hard on his side. He turned and smirked when he realized it was the sheathed Mugen. He gently slapped it away from him and placed an arm around the other exorcist's shoulder.

"So you finally came to see huh, Yuu?"

"Shut up, stupid rabbit. I'm just here because I'm forced."

"Oh really eh?" Lavi smirked more and pinched the swordsman's cheek. "Why are you blushing then?"

Kanda scowled and jerked the redhead's hand away from his face. He grabbed Mugen and was about to release it when he and Lavi was whacked on the head by the matron.

"If you two are just gonna fool around, might as well get out before I turn the both of you into baby food!"

The two shut their mouths at that and waited for the nurse to leave before relaxing. Miranda chuckled at how the two acted before settling herself between the two. Crowley, who just came back from his hometown, came in too.

"Woah, Crow-chan!" Lavi smacked the vampire's shoulder in greeting. "Good to see you back!"

Crowley nodded. "Yeah. But I was shocked to hear what happened here."

Silence…

Crowley sweatdropped at the sudden silence so he suddenly chuckled and went to the incubator.

"Oh! Is this Lenalee's baby?" he blurted to change the topic.

The others sighed and let themselves be relaxed again as they went nearer to the incubator. Lavi grinned and leaned to stare at the sleeping child.

"She's pretty isn't she, Crow-chan? Such a cute, innocent little one."

The vampire nodded with a smile as he marveled at the small baby. It was his first time seeing one after all. The redhead grinned at Crowley's amazement on the baby and glanced at his right – to which he saw the swordsman taking a peek at the small child with a slight blush on his cheeks.

Lavi grinned more and smacked Kanda's back.

"Being affectionate towards our little princess now, Yuu?" he giggled. "I can see how you stare at her~!"

Kanda blushed more upon being caught and turned to glare at Lavi. He was about to take Mugen again but remembered that the matron was guarding them outside so he just growled and walked towards the door.

"Whatever, baka usagi. I'm outta here."

Lavi chuckled at Kanda's reaction and only managed to stop himself from further laughing when the swordsman was finally out of the room. When he had composed himself, he shook his head and glanced at Miranda. The woman saw the younger male's stare and looked back at him with a question in her eyes.

Lavi narrowed his eyes in concern. "How's Lenalee?"

The question made Miranda sigh as tears formed on her orbs. She slowly shook her head at him to answer his question.

"She's having a hard time recovering from the news." She stated sadly. "I tried to get her out of the room but she just shouted at me."

Lavi sighed while he ran a hand through his hair in distress.

"Well, we can't help it. She waited a long time for him then suddenly, it happened."

Miranda didn't say anything for a moment. "But I'm really worried. This is the first time I saw her like that …"

She bit her lip. "What if she…"

"She's not gonna do that." Lavi suddenly cut in with a serious façade.

"She has her daughter now. She won't do something stupid."

He grinned at Miranda. "We're all worried about her, but I think we have to let her be for now."

"She'll recover soon enough."

The news about Allen's fate also spread through the Order just like how the news about the baby did. Unlike the happiness the others felt for the birth of the baby though, they felt sorry and sad for Lenalee who was obviously the person most affected with what happened. They were also depressed since their strongest warrior had to be "asleep" when a new enemy's around, but they chose not to speak of it when Lenalee's there to hear. It might worsen the dread she's feeling.

Unlike what the supervisor expected, Lenalee didn't accept the truth right away and was immediately demanding for him to take her to where Allen was after he told her about the curse. They tried to stop her from going out of the ward but she didn't let them prevent her, even going as far as to activate her innocence and fly through the corridors.

Eventually, they let her go there because they understood how she was feeling about the situation. Komui and the other exorcists had watched as she stood and stared for a moment at the sleeping form of Allen until she almost collapsed on his body as she cried out her tears, her hands pulling his exorcist coat as if telling him to wake up. It didn't take long before the others left her there to be alone. The scene was too much to take after all, and they knew that she would want to be alone with her love.

That was yesterday and since then, the female exorcist didn't leave Allen's room. Komui tried to talk her to go out of the room and rest but she kept declining and refusing to leave. Her friends tried their best to convince her too but Lenalee wouldn't budge.

"Allen-kun…"

She still had her head rested on his chest, her ears pressed against the part where his heart was. She had been in that position after she stopped crying. Her eyes were opened the whole night as she didn't sleep. She only contented herself with listening to his heart beat since it was the only thing that gave her an assurance that he's still alive.

She knew though. She understood her brother when he told her Allen had been cursed – a curse that had put him into an unending sleep. The proof was the hated runic signs that engraved themselves on Allen's forehead. Her brother and General Cross had tried what they could to wake him up, but their efforts were in vain. Cross said he wasn't familiar with the spell used to inflict the curse and even if he shrugged it off as nothing, they still knew that he was also frustrated with the situation.

She understood about the curse. But what she can't understand, what she can't accept – was the fact that he _won't_ be waking up anymore. She can't understand why he was doomed to sleep forever, that he wouldn't be able to be with her anymore. He left her alone again. He won't be there to see how their child grew. He won't be there to love the two of them.

It was too much for her. Just the mere thought of him not being there was making it harder for her to breathe. She can't even think straight. All that's in her mind was the feel of his cold hands on hers and how he didn't even budge after she had begged him to open his eyes. At this rate, she's not sure if she can even take care of their daughter anymore.

She tried to laugh at herself but all she managed was an awkward chuckle. She was even so sure about herself at the hospital ward. She told her brother that she would be strong to protect and take care of her child. But now, as she lay helplessly beside Allen, she didn't think she's capable to do the job.

"Can't you really open your eyes?" she whispered to him despite her dry throat.

"Our daughter needs you…" she continued. "…I need you."

The silence made tears burn on her orbs again.

"She doesn't have a name yet…I want the two of us to decide…"

"What will I say if she asks about you when she grows up? Don't make things harder for me."

"I thought you're going to prove yourself to nii-san? How can you do that if you stay asleep?"

"Aren't you hungry? Get up so we could eat together…"

"Everyone's so worried about you…"

"Allen…"

There's nothing she could do about him, wasn't it? She can't do anything for the ones she loved. She was always the one being protected and in the end, she was the one left alone. Was she really that useless?

She bit her lip so hard blood started to ooze from the cut. Her eyes were swollen from so much crying yet the salty liquid still flowed from them as if there's a well of tears hidden there.

"I'm going to hate you if you don't wake up."

She blurted out as she finally lifted her head to look at his calm face. His calmness only made the tears flow more. It was as if his calmness was telling her that he had no plans to wake up.

"You heard me, Allen." She stated after a pause. "We both don't want that to happen so open your eyes now…"

"Please…I don't want to be alone…"

She was getting frustrated with both herself and her situation with Allen.

"No?" she sobbed when she can't bear to stay there anymore. It really was too much for her.

"You're really not getting up?"

She's sure she looked like a spoiled kid now but she didn't care. She didn't care.

"I _hate_ you…!"

And she finally dashed out of the room and unexpectedly ran into Miranda who was supposed to bring a glass of water to her. The sudden collision of their bodies forced the tray she's carrying to fall down as the glass of water crashed to the floor and broke into a dozen pieces.

Miranda ignored the mess on the floor and instead had wrapped her arms around Lenalee who was sobbing uncontrollably again. She suddenly felt crying herself just from seeing her friend broke down like that. It was obviously very painful for Lenalee to even stay in Allen's room.

As she comforted the crying female, Miranda had a glance at the slightly opened door to the white-haired exorcist's room. The gap was large enough to reveal the sleeping face of Allen through the dim light of the lampshade. The flicker of the small flame from the lamp was making an unusual dance on his face and for a moment, she thought he's going to open his eyes. But it was only the fire playing tricks on her so she looked away before she got into uncontrollable fits of cries like Lenalee. It was also painful for her to see Allen that way. He was a precious friend of hers after all.

Deciding that they ought to go somewhere else, she carefully reached out and grabbed the door knob before pulling it to gently close the door. With the 'click' of the door upon being closed, she gently led Lenalee away from the room.

-/-/-

-/-/-

The next time Lenalee opened her violet eyes, the first thing she saw the clear blue sky above her. She stared at the blue she can see, wondering where she was when a gentle breeze blew past her face causing her hair to cover most of the scenery.

She was still wondering where she was as she slowly sat up from her lying position. That was when she noticed the vast patch of flowers that cushioned her body from beneath. The flowers stretched out to as far as her eyes can see. It was indeed a beautiful sight and she can't help but smile. It's been a long time since she last saw a scene such as that so she let herself enjoy the peaceful feeling the flowers were giving her.

But what could be the reason behind her being there? She thought as she picked a single flower from her side and held it up to her face to smell its sweet scent. Where was she exactly anyway?

"_Lenalee."_

Her eyes widened when she heard the familiar voice and she quickly stood up from her sitting position. She turned around to face the person calling her, the flower still between her fingers.

She didn't move for a moment as she stared at the figure at least ten feet away from her. He was smiling as the breeze gently moved his white hair to different angles. Most of all, his silver eyes were open. His orbs were steadily staring at her, not moving as if she's the only one there and nothing more.

She shakily placed her hands on her mouth as though she can't believe what she was seeing.

"Allen…"

She didn't stop herself anymore as she dropped the flower and ran towards him, tears on her eyes again.

"Allen! I'm so happy you're –

She stopped in her tracks when she noticed something flicker between the two of them. Allen's smile dropped into a sad one when she reached out her hand to him, only to touch an invisible wall. Her brows creased as she raised her other hand to touch the wall again.

"What…what is this?"

She looked at him worriedly.

"Allen, what's happening?"

He raised his hand and placed it on the wall from his side. She watched as he stepped nearer to the glass-like barrier.

"_This is the only thing I can manage Lenalee. I'm sorry if we have to meet like this."_

Lenalee still can't understand. She curled her fists and started drumming them on the glass with the intention to break it. Her efforts didn't have any effect.

"_You can't break this wall. As long I'm under the curse, this wall will remain here."_

His statement made the woman stop from trying to destroy what hindered her to truly touch him. She looked down then as she tried to compose herself from the tears, but she knew she can't so she gave up and raised her head to look at him again.

"Allen-kun…" she whispered. "…why?"

He knew what she was trying to ask and what she wanted him to say. He would want to tell her that, but even if he did speak those words, nothing will change. He will still remain from his side of wall, not being able to touch her even if he desired to.

"_Lenalee, I heard everything that you said."_ He finally muttered, refusing to answer her question. She didn't say anything but was still listening.

He smiled. "_It hurt me to hear you cry like that and say different things just to wake me up. I do want to open my eyes but this curse forbids me to."_

She was still silent. Allen sighed.

"_Do you hate me now?"_

The question made her tensed and she shook her head vigorously.

"No, of course not. I don't hate you." She finally smiled at him. "I just said that out of frustration. The one I really hate is myself…for being too weak to help you."

Allen shook his head too.

"_You didn't do anything wrong. The enemy's too strong for me to handle so this is what happened."_

"_Lenalee."_ He continued with the gentle smile again. _"I want you to be strong. You have to be strong to raise our daughter even if I'm not there."_

"No…" she sobbed to him. "How can I do that when you're not there? How can she grow without her father?"

The male sighed bitterly. _"I want to be there too. I want to watch her as she grows up. I really do, Lenalee. But as you can see, I can't do anything about this curse. The only thing I can do is to talk to you like this."_

He chuckled as he lightly punched the glass. _"Even this wall's stopping me from touching you."_

"But Allen-kun…" she looked at him pleadingly. "You can't leave me like this –

"_I'm not leaving you."_ He gently interrupted. _"I will never leave you, you know that."_

He leaned his forehead on the glass and closed his eyes.

"_I may not be there physically, but I will be watching over the two of you from here. I will do everything that I can to break this curse so I can control my body and be with you again."_

He opened his eyes to smile at her.

"_So please, be strong and protect our child while I'm here. It may take a long time, but I promise I will return one day. Trust me and move on. I know you can do it."_

Lenalee was silent. She was having a hard time accepting that he wanted her to leave him there and move on. He wanted her to live her next days without him by her side. It was as if he's telling her to forget about him.

But she knew, his words were the only things she wanted to hear. She had wanted to hear him say those things. And now that she finally heard him, she can feel herself release the frustrations and the depression that was preventing her to move on. It's still difficult and she would continue to worry for him, but she would accept because like what he said, she had to do her part too. He was trying his best so she should also. For the sake of the two of them and their child.

She let her final tears fall to the flowers before she leaned her forehead on the part where he leaned his. Her action made it seemed like there was no wall at all, and they were able to send their warmth through the imaginary touch.

"You're promising again, Allen-kun."

She heard him chuckle. _"I know. I'm aware I'm always doing that. I'm sorry about it."_

"But I always believe in you right?" she replied with a smile again. "I know you always keep your promises."

He nodded. "_I'm always making you wait_."

"And I'll still wait." She responded without hesitation.

"I'm going to do it Allen-kun. I'm going to be strong for you, for _her_. And I'm sorry too, for breaking down."

"_Thank you Lenalee. I'm glad to hear that."_ Allen muttered proudly. He pulled away from the wall and stared at her lovely form.

"_My time's running up. I'm afraid this might be the last time I can talk to you again."_

She looked up to him, still with the smile.

"Don't make me wait too long."

Allen grinned. _"I won't."_

The wind began to move again as she watched his body disappear slowly. But she still managed to see a small smile dancing on his lips.

"_Tell our daughter that I love her."_

He stated as his body became translucent while seconds passed. Lenalee nodded before she saw him mouth a continuation.

"_And I love you too."_

He completely disappeared before she can say her reply. But she didn't regret it. He knew it anyway and she believed now that he will definitely return. She will just have to do her best and wait.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Are you sure Lenalee?"

Komui asked cautiously as he turned and looked at his sister, who was holding her now awake daughter in her arms. Lavi was giggling beside her while staring at the baby's eyes, they were colored silver.

Lenalee nodded at her brother and stepped towards him, leaving her friends in her former position. She stopped walking when she's beside Komui and in front of a life-sized capsule. The capsule was still open and inside was Allen's body.

"This will only support his life Lenalee." The supervisor muttered with a serious tone.

"It won't do anything to the curse. It's still up to him to wake up. Once we close the capsule, you won't be able to touch and see him again. Is that alright with you?"

The Chinese woman didn't hesitate and nodded to her brother with a smile.

"He told me in my dream that he'll come back." She remarked. "If this could support him, then I don't mind."

Komui didn't say any further as he nodded and returned to prepare the things needed before they could activate the capsule. Johnny and Reever were also there putting multiple wires to different parts of Allen's body. After injecting said wires, they connected the other ends to a separate machine near the capsule.

"That's a tough decision Lenalee." Lavi muttered when he was finally beside the woman with her other friends.

Miranda sobbed. "We won't see him after this…"

"Che. Who cares." Kanda responded bluntly despite his refusal to see his comrade in a fallen state.

"He put it upon himself."

Crowley shook his head. "Don't say that Kanda. He did his best in his mission. It just had to happen this way."

Lenalee was thankful for her friends who stood beside her during this difficult time. She knew they were also saddened by her decision, but it was for the best. Of course, she can't let Allen to lie in a bed and die slowly. The life support capsule would be able to help him with his inner battle so even though the machine would hide him from her sight, she would still go on with her decision and let him sleep inside the capsule.

She stopped her thoughts and kneeled to the capsule. She kissed her baby and held her gently to him. The baby squirmed a bit but her small eyes landed on the sleeping face of the white-haired exorcist.

"This is your father, Liana." She whispered with a smile. "He's going to rest for now, but he will return one day. So let's wait for him, ok?"

Liana stopped squirming and continued to stare at Allen's face, as if she understood what her mother said. After a few seconds though, she squirmed again and began to cry.

The others chuckled as Lenalee retrieved her baby and stood up. She held Liana back to her arms and rocked her gently back and forth until she calmed.

"Everything's ready now." Reever interrupted as he looked at them. "We're going to close the capsule."

The Chinese woman nodded as she and her friends diverted their gaze to their sleeping friend. They all inwardly expressed their gratitude for his efforts and the things he had done in order to save them – even if it was just temporary. Indeed, he was one of the most amazing people in the world. He was the one who gave them hope during the war, and the one who cared for them the most.

And as Komui, Reever and Johnny completely closed the capsule, they all wished for him to hurry up and break the curse. After all, the world wouldn't be the same without him.

Lenalee closed her eyes as small tears formed. She suddenly remembered her dream, the image where her love was smiling and telling her to be strong.

She will be strong, because that's what he told her to be. She will be strong for her family, even after he returned.

She opened her eyes and gave him the most beautiful smile she can give.

"Rest well, Allen."

* * *

**AN: **Hmm…so almost all of you thought the poor baby's dead huh? C'mon! You think I'm actually gonna do something horrible? XD (Not that it didn't cross my mind…but it sounded ugly so I threw out the idea)

Anyway, I did what I can to make this chapter beautiful…but I think my efforts were not enough (especially since I'm dizzy right now and who knows what kinds of errors you had encounter along the way…XD). I still hope you enjoyed this though.

And for my usual thanking session:

**Coralian Exorcist **– I know I should stop doing these cliffhangers too but hey! It adds spice to the story! XD

**Uzumaki and Hyuuga girls** – aside from Allen-not-waking-up-anymore, the baby's alive and fine…^^

**Odat** – thanks!

**rakle89** – hmm…I considered using 'Alena', but the name's been used too much in this fandom so I wanted to use another. Sorry! Anyway, thanks for the review!

**Sakra-chan** – yeah, I know what you mean, and thank you again!^^

**Starforce119** – thank you, thank you! And about Allen…maybe you should find out for yourself? XD

**signrain** – well, I don't know much about pregnancy and deliveries…but thank you for pointing it out!^^

**glon morski** – woah, I really appreciate your long reviews so I'm giving you a long one too! And good thoughts you have there about Allen!^^ The baby's alive though so no need to feel sad for Lenalee anymore (well, she still has a reason to be sad, but nonetheless…) By the way, thanks for the flattery, but don't skip school just to read a story! XD Even if it's my story or somebody else's, you don't have to go that far because you liked it! School's more important so make it your first priority! (Not that I'm not guilty of doing something similar…XD) Anyway, I'm glad you liked the last chap!^^

**KyuuinShinkei** – thanks! Well, I do like to make my fave characters suffer so…XD And sorry for the errors (again!)

**jesse** – thank you! And fortunately, the baby's alive!

**all590** – sorry for making you wait! I did the best I could to update a.s.a.p but I still have a lot of things to do. Anyway, thanks for the compliments!

**Astaline Nihtingale** – Sorry! XD I hope you didn't die of apprehension…^^

**Ashka-chan** – thanks yet again! And don't worry about Allen! He's one tough hero after all.^^

**Chiaki Saruwatari** – no, the baby's not dead.

**yuki** – I know!^^ I just had to add that bit there because I want to see him get jealous or overprotective…XD and thank you for reading this fic!

**Moon of Jupiter** – surprise! The baby's still alive! But Allen…well, I'll be thinking about what to do with him…XD

**Chocolate and caramel **–you can stop sobbing now since Lil' moyashi's still alive! (and boy do I like that nickname! I'm gonna adapt it here ok?)

**yukihane **–did you just say "Oh. My. Gulai."? *wink wink* sorry for the cliffhangers though! And don't worry, their daughter's still alive!^^

**Kalana Fox **– and by some miracle, the baby lives! Thanks!^^

Whew. This AN's longer than I thought. I won't be making this longer now so I'll just see you guys in the next update ok?


	20. The Child

Standard Disclaimer Applied.

* * *

Screams were ringing through old walls and chaotic streets as people desperately ran to wherever they thought was a safe place. Children were crying while being carried by equally frightened parents who already knew that staying there would mean death.

"Mama!"

Among the running people, a little boy had slipped and was immediately left by the people around him. His mother, who was already a few meters away from him didn't notice his absence until his loud wail after tripping on the road. She gasped and took a few running steps towards her son before stopping with a pale face. Just behind her son was the horde of monsters that started the chaos in their once peaceful town. She paled even further when a monster had posed to land an attack on the poor child.

"No! Sto –

"Enbu Kirikaze!"

Suddenly, a destructive tornado appeared and the monster was torn in half in an instant. The mother saw a flash among the smoke before the monster exploded in pieces. She was about to shield herself when she felt being lifted by someone.

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

The urgent voice of a male startled her so she looked up to see who her rescuer was. It was a man in his late-twenties with burning red hair and green eyes who was holding a large sized hammer hanging on his shoulder. His right eye was covered by a black pirate-styled eye patch.

The man glanced down at her, his lips repeating the question.

"I'm alright." The woman answered anxiously. "But my son - !"

"He's safe."

She was interrupted by another person behind them. She and the man turned around to face a younger woman with long teal hair tied in a quite messy braid. Her legs were wrapped by black-crimson armor boots with ominous butterflies at the heels. She gracefully landed on the ground while her violet eyes stared down at the unconscious child in her arms.

"John!"

The woman gasped upon seeing her son and quickly rushed to the other female who gladly gave her the little boy.

"Thank you! Thank you for saving him!" the mother cried as she looked at her son's savior.

The younger woman shook her head with a small smile.

"It's nothing. Now please evacuate to a safer place. We'll handle the akuma here."

The mother nodded and thanked the man who saved her then finally ran to where the other people went. When she was already out of their sight, the two exorcists glanced at each other with a small nod, as if giving each other a signal. Without further ado, they charged at the horde of waiting akuma who were immediately obliterated by two joined forces.

"It's a good thing they're only level ones."

"Yeah. It would be quite troublesome if they had a level two or three up in their sleeves."

The man sighed as his hammer suddenly shrunk in size. The woman only looked around while her legs remained encased by her boots.

"What now Lavi? This is the third attack but there's no sign of innocence."

"I think there's really no innocence here." Lavi answered with a serious tone. "Those akuma didn't even bother concealing themselves. They're just attacking without any reason."

He glanced at his comrade. "Lenalee, I think we should tell Komui first. But I don't really think an innocence is involved."

"You're right." Lenalee replied while tucking a few loose strands of her hair to her ear.

"We're done here. Let's go call my brother."

It seemed like yesterday when the world was peaceful, where it was freed from the monsters that once walked on the earth's surface wrecking havoc. It was all thanks to the courageous exorcists who the world didn't even know, that ordinary humans experienced peace for some time. But it was only short-lived. Just a year and a half after the so-called peace, akuma started lurking on the world again. The familiar battles for the innocence were relieved once more as people saw the black-cloaked warriors again. And they knew, their world was still in chaos.

It had been 6 years since then.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Brother?"

Lenalee glanced behind her to see her companion talking to a few teenage girls who seemed to be asking him out on a date. She sweatdropped at the scene and decided to just focus on the phone call she's making.

"_Lenalee! How's the mission?"_

She heard the familiar voice of her older brother from the opposite line of the call. He was rambling how he had missed her while she was away. She only replied with a sigh.

"Nii-san, we just finished a group of akuma a few hours ago." She stated when she thought it's time to interrupt him.

A pause. _"Really? How about the innocence?"_

Lenalee sighed. "We think there's really no innocence in here. The akuma openly attacked the village without any direction. There had been three attacks but all they did was to try to kill whatever they saw. There hadn't been any strange happenings besides the akuma either."

The silence from the opposite line of the phone indicated that the person must be thinking over things. Lenalee only waited in patience.

"_Alright."_ Her brother's voice rang after a few seconds. _"Stay there for another two days. If no attacks occurred, return here so we could plan again. But if there's another one, investigate more then call me."_

The exorcist nodded. "I understand."

After a brief farewell to the supervisor, she returned the phone and thanked the old lady who was kind enough to lend their telephone to her. She tucked her hair strands to her ear again then approached her partner for the mission. He was still talking to the girls.

"Can't you really come with us Lavi-sama?"

"Yeah! It's just for tea…"

"We just want to thank you for saving our town!"

She inwardly giggled when she heard what those girls had been asking from her friend. But what amused her most was the expression stuck on Lavi's face while he tried to reject their offers. He was never good with younger girls after all. If they would have been around her age or older, the red-head would have taken them to a fancy restaurant already.

She decided to step in and help when she saw the helpless glance Lavi directed towards her.

"I'm sorry girls." She muttered when she was already beside Lavi.

"I'm sure he's grateful, but Lavi can't go with you right now because we're still doing our mission."

Lavi nodded. "She's right. I'm very sorry."

There was at least half a minute of silence before the girls shook their heads.

"No! We're the ones who should be apologizing!" one girl remarked.

"Yes! We didn't know you're still doing your mission."

"And on top of that, we're so shameless not to see that you already have a wife!"

Another silence…

"Eh?"

The red head and the Chinese woman looked at each other in surprise before simultaneously laughing at the confused girls. A tint of pink can be seen on the two adults' cheeks.

"Oh my…" Lenalee started after recovering from her laughter. "That was unexpected."

Lavi nodded with a grin. "Yeah. I didn't see that coming!"

The girls became more confused as they glanced at each other uneasily. Lavi chuckled at their actions.

"That was funny, but you got it all wrong."

A girl looked up to him.

"Then…why is she wearing _that _ring?"

Both Lenalee and Lavi looked at her left ring finger – where a silver band with a small diamond circled around it. The female exorcist smiled as she stared at the ring.

"Oh this?" she flipped her hand so that the girls can see the jewelry. "It's an engagement ring. But not from Lavi."

The red head didn't disagree. "It's pretty isn't it? Lenalee's engaged to a great friend of mine, so it's impossible that we're married.

There's a lot of "oohh"s from the young females after their short explanation. They quickly apologized to them when they recovered from their embarrassment and left them after a few bids of good luck. When the two of them were the only ones inside the small reception area of the inn, Lenalee chuckled more then sat on the couch near to her.

"That was really amusing." She said, pertaining to the scene with the girls.

"Aside from the ring, I wonder what caused them to think that we're married…"

Lavi smirked and sat on the couch's armrest. "That's because the two of us looked so damn good together. Too bad you have a weird taste and chose someone who's less sexy than me."

He winced when the female elbowed him.

"Ok, I was only joking. But I'm serious about the sexy thing."

Lenalee decided to let him slip off as she leaned her back to the comfortable back rest. She sighed when she felt her muscles ached from the sudden move so she sat straight up again.

"I'm so tired!" she remarked while she stretched her arms. "Fighting those akuma can really suck out my energy!"

Lavi reached out and massaged his throbbing neck. "Well, we're not really that young anymore so we easily lack energy."

"What did Komui say?" he asked before looking towards her. Lenalee shrugged.

"He told me to stay here for another two days. If there's an attack, he wants us to investigate more."

The male's eyes widened. "Two days? But three days from now is…"

Lenalee turned to look at him with a pout. "I know!"

"Wow." Her partner sweatdropped. "Errr…don't worry. We still have a day of travel to return so don't feel annoyed just yet."

"I know that too Lavi." She replied with a sigh again. "But what if the akuma decided to attack before that? We'll be forced to investigate here until there's no time to go back. I'll be absent from such an important day!"

There's no answer for a moment while the male exorcist took his moment to think over their situation. In three days, there would be a party at the Main H.Q. to celebrate an important occasion. It wouldn't matter much to them if the reason for the party was different. But since the two of them, especially Lenalee, were one of the more important characters in the said celebration, they were expected to be there. That was, if they could finish up their mission before the deadline.

"I understand how you feel." He finally responded with a smile. "Let's just do our job for now. I'm sure _she_ will understand."

The Chinese woman thought for a moment then gave up depressing over the matter.

"You're right. I just really want to be there on time. You remember what happened last year right? I was the only one who's not there! I'm so ashamed…"

"And you know that it's not your fault so get over it ok?" Lavi gave a gentle pat on her head.

"She's just like _him_ so it's almost impossible for her to be mad at you, if you know what I mean."

Lenalee sighed again. "And they're both too kind for their own good!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

"What do you think Lenalee? This one's cute."

"I don't know…she's not really fond of dolls."

"But this one's better than that stupid rabbit stuffed toy she's been carrying around. Who gave her that anyway?"

"That rabbit? It's from nii-san."

"I shouldn't have asked."

The days flew by fast and the extended two days didn't contain any akuma attacks – much to Lenalee's delight since it meant she and Lavi would be arriving at the headquarters on time. But instead of rushing on their journey though, they decided to go around town and pick a gift first.

"How about a new pair of shoes?" Lavi asked when he noticed a shoe store just across the street.

Lenalee shook her head. "She had a lot of those from nii-san."

"Hmm…a new dress?"

"Nii-san gives her a new one every week."

"A picture book?"

"She still has that pile of books she received last month."

"And that's from your brother?"

"Yes."

The direction of their conversation could only make the red head sweatdrop. Obviously, buying a gift wasn't necessary anymore. But of course, Lenalee wouldn't let herself come home without a present.

For the past six years, she had been irritated with the fact that Komui was always beating her into buying the things _she_ needed and wanted. She didn't mind at first since her brother also had the rights to do what he pleased. But when it became a routine, she was soon left to the sidelines while Komui did HER part. It was truly vexing.

Lavi pretty much understood why his female friend was so eager into buying a gift before returning to the headquarters. It wasn't only because of her "rivalry" with her brother, it's also due to her desire to make the celebrant smile and be happy. She hadn't been staying at the main H.Q that much after all so aside from coming home on time, Lenalee might had felt that bringing along a lovely present could redeem herself.

"How about you, Lavi?" Lenalee muttered out of the blue as she spared a small glance at him.

"You aren't buying any presents?"

Lavi tensed at her question as he answered nervously. "W-Well, I already have one for her…since last week."

"What?" the female responded with a sigh. "Gosh, you even beat me into it!"

"Look, it's not intentional. I just happen to be there when I remembered, then those earrings were just so cute so I bought them for her."

She raised a brow at the red head. "But her ears aren't pierced yet."

Lavi stopped. "Eh? Then what about the earrings?"

Lenalee laughed lightly at the disappointed expression on her friend's face as she went to an aisle not far from where the dolls were displayed.

"She said she's going to get her ears pierced this year so your gift wouldn't go to waste."

She answered when she felt her friend beside her. Lavi released a small sigh as if relieved then stared down at the items in front of them. The displays were composed of different fabric products, ranging from dresses, handkerchiefs, socks, to blankets. His eyes perked up to the colorful selections of the last item.

"A new blanket might be nice." He stated to the woman beside him. "It wouldn't be so bad for her to have another one."

Lenalee smiled at him. "Oh, that won't do."

Lavi became puzzled. "How come?"

"Hmm…let's just say she loves her old blanket so much." The Chinese replied with a giggle. "I already gave her a new one but she used it just a few times. The next time I checked up on her, she was sleeping with her old blanket wrapped around her again."

She giggled more before Lavi interrupted her with an amused smile. "That blanket must be super comfortable."

"It is comfortable…just as comfortable as her other blankets." She turned then went to another aisle again.

"I don't know, it's just like as if she knew that blanket was special, and that may be the reason why she can't let go of it."

"Special?" the red head thought for a moment as soon as he's beside her again. "Wait, so she's using _that_ blanket even until now?"

Lenalee only nodded.

"That one from _him_? From when he was still doing that mission?"

"Yup."

"The blue one with the yellow moon and stars thingy?"

"Yes Lavi!" Lenalee laughed. "And the amusing part is, she doesn't even know it's from him!"

The other exorcist only stared at her.

"Woah. So she refused to use other blankets other than the one from him, and she doesn't even know it?" he chuckled as he shook his head.

"If that isn't some kind of blood-relation psyche, I don't know what that is!"

"I know." She reached out and felt the texture of a displayed cloth between her fingers.

"It's like she's unconsciously connecting to him through that blanket. Just seeing her sleep with it makes me want to cry."

Lavi only nodded in sympathy for an answer.

"So, what about your gift? Did you find anything?"

Just as he voiced out his question, Lenalee had spotted something at the end of the aisle. She walked towards it while Lavi followed her with a curious gaze, wanting to know what had caught the woman's attention. Upon arriving there, his brows went up as he slowly glanced at Lenalee as if to ask something. Lenalee felt his curious gaze though, so she answered him even before he can utter his question.

"I think I'm going to buy this."

Lavi smiled at her as he took the item. "It's pretty simple. But she'll look just like your younger self if she wears that."

"You're right. But…" she smiled back. "Even if she looks just like me, whenever I stare at her, all I can see is _him_."

Silence…

"Well, it's expected." The red head handed over the chosen object back to her. She accepted it before reaching out for her wallet.

"She's also a part of him after all." Lavi added with a small grin.

Lenalee chose not to answer as she approached the cashier just beside the store's door. But a small smile tugged on her lips when she recalled what her male friend said just a few moments ago. It was also one of the many reasons why she enjoyed looking at _her_. It was because she reminded her of him – her long "lost" love. It was as if he was still there, talking and smiling and laughing, just like the times when they were still together.

"Let's go now Lavi."

She turned to him with an even wider smile after she received the now wrapped gift from the store lady.

"I can't wait to see Liana!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

It didn't take long before Lavi and Lenalee arrived at the Main Headquarters since they took the fastest train available. Their eagerness to return was understandable since the two of them wanted to be there when the party started, especially Lenalee since she was not there at the party last year. The celebrant understood because it was due to her mission, but the Chinese woman still blamed herself on that incident. She said it was because she wasn't strong enough to finish her work on time.

"Phew. We're finally here."

As she and Lavi entered the headquarters, Lenalee took the time to observe the different changes that happened in their "home". The past five years had been really hectic since the Central Administration thought they should improve their security, especially since their enemy managed to easily infiltrate their headquarters two times. A new batch of engineers had been accepted into the Order so the development of new technology became a new scenario aside from the constantly training exorcists. At first, they weren't used to the new facilities installed at almost every nook and cranny of their old building. But as time went by, using such facilities became a normal event.

"Lavi-dono! Lenalee-dono! You're back!"

Another thing that they've gotten used to was the constant recruitment of new exorcists. Their once small group of akuma fighters gradually became larger as a new face joined their force a few times every now and then. The only thing they need to worry about was the lack of senior exorcists and generals available to take the new exorcists under their wing.

Lenalee smiled at the teenage male who greeted them.

"You have a lot of bruises! Just finished training?"

The boy nodded with a deep breath. "Crowley-dono wasn't easy with me these past few days."

"That's understandable." Lavi cut in with a grin. "We need the help of new exorcists such as you so harsher training should be expected!"

Lenalee agreed. "The first stage is really difficult, but if you've gotten used to your innocence and had used it for many times, doing missions will be a lot easier. So just hang in there!"

The boy didn't say anything for a moment as he stared at the two adults with an admiring gaze.

"You're so cool." He remarked with starry eyes. "I wish I'm as strong as you two!"

Lenalee and Lavi chuckled.

"You'll catch up soon enough. You just have to do your best." The woman answered. "We all started as weaklings too and it took us a lot of effort to reach this level."

"Yup! She's right!" the red head added with a grin as he ruffled the hair of the teenage boy.

After a short "See you later", the two then started to step away from the new exorcist with the intention of finding the supervisor to report about their mission. But before they can even leave the lobby, the boy called out their names again, stopping the seniors from going.

"I was just wondering…" he started with a rather uneasy look.

"Crowley-dono told me about our current enemy, Edea, and that she's actually our second enemy. The Earl of Millenium, our original foe, was defeated many years ago by a great General."

Lenalee and Lavi glanced at each other.

"That's right."

"Is there something you don't understand?"

"Well…" the young exorcist scratched his cheek.

"Where is this 'great General' person?"

Silence…

The two adults tensed.

"I've been asking Crowley-dono and the other seniors about it but they always change the topic. Is that person missing? Or dead?"

Lavi smiled uneasily at him. "Why do you want to know?"

The boy shrugged. "I'm just thinking that we'll surely have a better chance of winning if that person's here. I mean, what's that person doing when there's a new enemy? Why's he not here when the situation's so grave? Doesn't he care at all?"

There was silence again after the boy spoke out his thoughts. The two older exorcists did understand the boy's confusion about the events, especially since the history they had been telling to the newcomers contained a lot of loopholes. But it was the first time they were actually confronted with such a question, and they're not exactly ready to tell him the whole story.

Lenalee was slightly annoyed after she heard the slight accusation from the boy's speech. She wanted to correct him and tell that the "great General" didn't really want to be absent from the fight, that he was equally fighting alongside them albeit from a different way. It unnerved her a bit upon knowing that someone was thinking badly about _him_. Yet she can't do anything about it. What should she tell the boy?

Lavi could see the debate happening in Lenalee's mind from the way her brows were narrowed and how she bit her lip. He wanted to correct the boy too, if only the Central didn't forbid them to tell anything about the incident six years ago, specifically about what happened to the "Destroyer of time". He was still wondering about that until now. Why did they have to hide it from the new exorcists?

The boy felt the tension around them since his spoken question. It made him think that bringing that topic up was a bad idea so decided to just end the discussion.

"U-umm, it's not –

"That person will return one day."

Lavi stared at Lenalee with surprise. The woman smiled at the boy.

"He'll return so please just concentrate on your training ok? It won't do you any good if you just keep on wondering about it."

There was a momentary pause until the boy nodded with a smile back to her. The gesture was enough to make the two adults relieved.

"I understand. I'll go find Crowley-dono then!"

"Ok."

When the boy was already out of earshot, Lavi finally faced his female friend with a nervous grin.

"I was just about to tell him that."

Lenalee shrugged. "You're slow so I beat you to it."

"You're not annoyed?"

"I AM annoyed." She answered with a sigh. "I'm actually preventing myself from spilling the whole story to him."

Lavi chuckled. "Me too. It was a good thing he asked us though. If it was Kanda, that boy would have been sliced into half by now."

"I know what you mean!" the Chinese responded with an amused laugh.

"We've been delayed enough."

"Let's go then."

Along the way, they were greeted by exorcists and finders alike who had expressed their relief that Lenalee actually managed to arrive before the party that would take place later that night. It would have made the female exorcist feel guilty all over again, but the red head managed to stop her depression by saying the others were just merely happy that she and the celebrant would be together for the celebration, though Lenalee remained annoyed with herself.

Upon arriving at her brother's office, her annoyance escalated more when she saw the scene that had been currently occurring there. Dozens of people were crowding around at the far end of the room. At first she and Lavi were confused with what was happening. But when Lenalee realized what the fiasco was all about, her eyebrows twitched.

There was a photo shoot. A stupid photo shoot of _her_.

"L-Lenalee! Lavi!"

Reever, who was still his usual self albeit the older look, had gasped as he saw the female exorcist and the red-haired male who weren't moving.

"I tried to stop Komui." He muttered nervously when he approached them. "But he used Komurin EX-2 so we…

He was interrupted when Lenalee walked past him towards the crowd. The tension around her was easily felt by the crowd though, and they all hurriedly left when they realized the female was deeply annoyed, leaving the supervisor who was still eagerly taking pictures. Lenalee didn't waste another second as she kicked her brother on the shin. Hard. She only watched as Komui flew to the opposite wall.

"What are you doing nii-san?"

"THAT HURTS!...Lenalee! You're here!"

Suddenly, there was a small gasp.

As Komui was dragged away by Reever and Lavi, a little girl about five or six years had stepped out from the platform where she was formerly standing. Her lips quickly formed into a smile as she raised her little arms up, long teal hair flowing gracefully with her movements while her gray eyes only focused at the face of her mother.

"Okaa-san!"

Her mother's frown was replaced with a smile.

"Liana! I'm back!"

Lenalee laughed happily as she crouched down and extended her arms towards the running little girl. When Liana was already within arms' reach, she gently grabbed her for a tight hug.

"Okaa-san! I'm so happy you're here already!" came the petite voice of the girl.

Her mother laughed more before pulling away to look at her.

"I'm happy too, dear. Now mommy's going to be with you in your birthday party!"

Her daughter smiled wider at her while Lenalee let her eyes travel to the clothes her little girl's wearing. Her eyes twitched again when she realized it was a swimsuit. Yes, a friggin' children's swimsuit colored pink underneath bright yellow flower designs. And as if it was not enough, there were frills attached to her lower sections.

She frowned down at Liana's appearance. "Why are you wearing something like that?"

"I really don't want to wear this…" the little girl replied with a pout. "But jii-chan told me he'll be taking pictures for mommy to see so I let him."

She looked up to her mother with a hopeful glance. "Are you going to see my pictures, mommy?"

Lenalee calmed herself first before she released a smile. "Of course dear! I'll definitely see those pictures. But first let's go talk to your uncle."

With that, she stood up straightly and tenderly took Liana's hand in hers. She smiled down at her again before leading the two of them to where Lavi and Reever were. The two males were hovering over a sobbing Komui. Liana's eyes lit up when she saw the red-haired exorcist.

"Uncle Lavi!"

The familiar voice of the petite girl caused Lavi to ignore the supervisor for a moment and turn around to face the girl. But when he saw what she was wearing, his jaw dropped.

"W-What the - !"

Lenalee sighed. "That damned brother of mine tricked Liana into wearing this."

"Jii-chan said he'll take photos of me for mommy!" Liana added with a cute grin. "You can see it too uncle Lavi!"

There were a few seconds of silence until a drop of blood appeared just beneath the red head's nose. He gasped and nervously chuckled while looking away, momentarily hoping that Lenalee didn't see his nosebleed.

'_Damn!'_ he thought almost frustratingly as he wiped the blood from his nose. _'Like mother like child! How can the two of them be so cute?'_

He saw the narrowed gaze Lenalee was throwing at him so he stopped his musings and turned to the supervisor again.

"Komui! How could you trick Lia-chan into wearing something indecent like that?"

The supervisor looked up to him with a sob. "It's not indecent! It's cute!"

Lenalee frowned at him. "Brother, explain properly!"

"I just want to preserve my lovely niece's cuteness…" Komui drew circles on the floor with his finger.

"Was it so wrong for a poor loving uncle like me?"

Reever sweatdropped while Lavi and Lenalee only frowned further at him.

"It's wrong!" the red head exclaimed. "Forcing Lia-chan to wear something like a swimsuit!"

"It's just a swim wear! Why are you making such a fuss about it?"

"You were blushing like a child-porno-addict earlier!"

"Hah! I'm not! And you were blushing too! You even have that nosebleed just moments ago! Stupid Lavi!"

The last remark from Komui caused Lenalee and Reever to divert their attention to the red head with narrowed eyes. Lavi sweated with nervousness because of their suspicious gazes while Liana remained confused with the situation.

"Mommy." She tugged on Lenalee's skirt to get her attention. It was effective since the woman quickly looked down at her.

"Yes dear?"

Liana stared at her with curious eyes.

"What's a 'porno'?"

Silence…

"?"

The four adults stared at the little girl with shocked faces while she just stared back at them with a small smile playing on her lips. Their reaction only made her more curious.

"Ne, mommy!" she tugged at her mother again. "Was it something fun like a game?"

Her question only made the adults more uneasy. Lenalee managed to recover soon enough to take care of the situation so she carefully faced her daughter who was patiently waiting for an answer. She gave her little girl a mother's smile.

"It's nothing Liana." She answered as convincing as she could. "It's something only adults should know."

Her answer made the girl pout. "Why can't someone like me know?"

Lenalee patted her daugter's head. "Because you're too young to know. Besides, it's a _very bad_ word so you should forget about it ok?"

It took some time before Liana digested her words. She recalled how her mother emphasized the words "very bad" so she figured she shouldn't press on it any longer.

"Ok!" she grinned. "I understand. I won't ask anymore!"

"Good. I'm proud of you Liana." Lenalee turned to Lavi with a warning glare. Lavi nervously nodded as he whispered.

"I know. I'll watch my mouth."

"Anyway!"

They all turned to Lenalee who returned her attention to Komui again.

"Don't do this again brother! Liana told me she didn't like to wear this stuff!"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I know you love your niece but you don't have to go so far."

As Lenalee lectured the still sobbing supervisor, Liana was watching the scene unfold in front of her curious eyes. She first looked at her uncle, who was looking down at the floor while he sobbed childishly. Then she averted her eyes to her mother, who was frowning while she scolded her uncle. She looked at the both of them for a few times before she made a determined face and pulled her hand from her mother's grip. The action made Lenalee stop as she watched her daughter run and stand in front of Komui, her arms raised sideways as if she's protecting him.

"Please stop now mommy!" she exclaimed with a firm face. Lenalee looked at her, surprised.

"But Lia –

"It's not jii-chan's fault!" Liana interrupted as she returned her arms to her side and faced Komui.

"Jii-chan only wants to spend time with me b'cause it's my birthday…"

Reever, Lavi and Lenalee watched the little girl in a half amused-half curious gaze while Komui stared at his niece with a slightly surprised expression.

Liana gave her uncle a bright smile.

"If it can make jii-chan happy, even if I don't like it, I won't mind wearing even a _dooozen_ of this!"

The adults were not surprised as they let a smile curl up on their lips. One of the reasons why they loved the little girl so much was her ability of melting people's hearts, together with her sense of sacrifice just to make her loved ones happy.

It was also because through those traits, they were reminded of a certain someone. Just seeing the way the little girl smiled seemed to generate _his_ image in their minds, and seeing that image can only make them smile back.

Komui's reaction, on the other hand, was much more emotional than the others. He had tears flowing from his eyes again as he stared at the smiling face of his niece. His precious little niece was indeed a very adorable child that it's impossible for someone to actually hate her. He was really glad Lenalee gave birth to a kind child like her – a child who would definitely grow to be as strong and amazing as her father.

If only he's awake and watching her with them.

He decided to let go of his depressing thoughts for now and instead wailed more as he reached out his arms and grabbed Liana to him. He rocked her sideways while muttering words of gratitude despite the tears.

"LIANA-CHAAANN! Thank you so much for believing your jii-chan! I LOVE YOOUU!"

His sudden display of affection made the others sweatdrop while Liana only smiled and hugged her uncle back with her little arms. Lenalee, after seeing that her daughter wasn't that troubled after all, decided to let things go and forgive her brother. Having pictures of Liana in a swimsuit wasn't really a bad idea after all…if they would keep it private. If she saw her daughter's pictures around the Order, she'll definitely not tolerate it anymore.

"Ok, nii-san." She called with a sigh, gaining the hugging uncle and niece's attention.

"I'll forgive you for now."

Komui sniffed. "Really Lenalee? You really mean it?"

Liana's eyes brightened. "You forgive him now mommy?"

"Yes." The mother in question smiled. "But next time, please ask my permission first. After all, Lia-chan's my daughter."

Of course, Komui agreed and responded with a quick nod and a statement saying that Lenalee could wear a matching swimsuit with Liana and have a photo session with her – to which Lenalee irritatingly answered with a big "NO" and a threat to take back her forgiveness. Lavi and Reever could only watch them with amused gazes.

"They're really a loud family eh?" Lavi muttered with a somewhat helpless expression.

Reever chuckled. "Loud yes, but it's also proof that they're happy."

"But man, Lenalee in a swimsuit like _that_? I think I like the idea…"

"Don't say that when she can hear you, you know…"

Their conversation was halted when a small hand tugged Lavi's pants. The two men looked down.

"You'll come attend the party right?" Liana asked Lavi. "I want uncle Lavi to be there too…"

Lavi's face softened as he kneeled down to the girl's level. He reached out and gently patted her head.

"Of course Lia-chan! I have to give your present after all."

"You have a present for me?" Liana's eyes widened with curiosity.

"What is it?"

"I can't tell you right now, silly!"

The girl blinked at him then pouted. The cute act sent a somewhat jolt of lightning through Lavi that he almost muttered "Strike!". He might be bad with young girls, but if it was Liana…

Reever gave the man a suspicious stare.

"Lavi, what are you –

"I can tell you Lia-chan~!" the red head cut in with a glee. "If you promise me one thing."

Liana gave him a determined face and nodded. "Just tell me and I'll do it!"

"Ok…" Lavi smiled.

"From now on, I want you call me _onii-sama_ alright?"

He smiled more.

"Why don't you try it?"

There was silence between them until Liana tilted her head to the side with a somewhat confused gaze. Then with her big rounded gray eyes, she finally muttered,

"Onii-sama?"

A moment of silence…

"STRIKE!" Lavi blurted out loud when he can't take it anymore. "So cute!"

He opened his arms wide open.

"Come to me Lia-chan! I won't mind having you as my uber cute younger sister!"

He was expecting the soft body of the little girl in his arms, but instead, was greeted by a frowning Komui and a not-so-happy Lenalee both glaring down at him.

"So you have that kind of intention with my daughter huh?" Lenalee stated in a frighteningly clam voice. Lavi gulped.

"It's not like that! She just sounded cute and –

"You shameless bastard Lavi! Acting like a damned pedophile towards my innocent Liana!"

Reever sighed. "He's right Lavi. I can't believe you're like that."

"Wait! I'm not a pedophile!"

Liana turned to her mother.

"Mommy, what's a pedophile?"

"Eh? It's something bad so just forget about it…"

Lenalee sighed in annoyance then glared at the males.

"You guys, watch your mouth!"

"Oi, what's going on here?"

Their loud conversation was halted at the entrance of a Japanese man clad in a golden-lined exorcist uniform. A long sword hanged loose but secured around his hips while his face portrayed a half annoyed-half amused expression.

"Oh! So you two also returned already?"

Another person appeared just behind the Japanese male. It was a tall woman with long curly hair tied to her back. The depression her eyes once held was long gone and was instead replaced with orbs clouded in peace. A smile was plastered on her lips as she happily went to her female best friend.

"Miranda!" Lenalee sang out as she hugged the older female to her. Her eyes went to her other friend.

"Kanda!...or should I say, General Kanda Yuu?" she greeted with a small grin.

The Japanese snorted.

"Shut up."

Suddenly, there was the sound of hasty footsteps and Kanda found himself almost glued to the spot upon the little arms that latched around his leg. His eyebrow twitched as he stared down eye-to-eye with gray orbs.

"Chibi moyashi…" he muttered in annoyance despite the small smirk forming on his mouth. His eyebrow twitched when he took note of the clothes she's wearing.

"Get off me…"

Liana only grinned and hugged his leg tighter. "Kanda-jii-chan! You finally returned!"

Her grin turned to a soft smile.

"You kept your promise!"

The others waited for a reaction from the indifferent Japanese. They were about to be disappointed at his silence until he slowly nodded and reached out to gently give the small girl a pat on her head, seemingly forgetting about her outfit. The scene made the audience go "awww!" – which only made Kanda retreat his hand and yell at them in embarrassment.

Lenalee laughed with everyone while she watched her comrade hide the adoration he's feeling for her daughter. They knew for a fact that Kanda held a soft spot for Liana since she was born. He was always the one who silently protected her after all. He might try to hide it in front of them, but his small actions towards the little girl can only betray his words.

Her thoughts were stopped when Lenalee noticed someone peeking by the door. It was a boy who was at least a year older than her daughter. He had blonde-colored short hair and deep, sharp sapphire eyes. He was staring curiously at them.

"Kanda, Miranda…" she called as she smiled at the boy. The boy blushed.

"Who's the young boy?"

Her questions made their cheery laughter stop as they all turned their gaze to the said new face by the door. Upon seeing him, Kanda sighed and stared sternly at him.

"Kiri."

He motioned the boy to step forward.

"Come here."

They can see that the boy was hesitating to go but he eventually gave up and slowly walked towards them. When he was finally beside Kanda, he briefly bowed down as if to pay his respects. Kanda nodded.

"This boy is the accommodator of the innocence we found. He'll be my apprentice starting today."

"He just lost his parents…" Miranda added with a sad tone. "We had a hard time convincing him to come with us but he eventually agreed. We hope we can all get along well with him."

"Of course. We'll make sure he'll feel at home here."

-/-/-

-/-/-

Komui replied, returning his demeanor to business-like as he straightened out his clothes and faced the young boy. He gave him a wide smile.

"How do you do, Kiri-kun? I'm Komui Lee, the supervisor of the Main Headquarters." He turned towards the other people around him.

"And these are people who also have innocence with them. We call them exorcists."

Kiri stared at him for a moment before looking down, when he noticed the curious face of Liana. He blushed momentarily when he realized the girl was wearing a swimwear, but narrowed his eyes at her after he composed himself before turning to Komui again.

"Even her?"

The question caused a silent albeit tensed reactions from the adults around the room. However, their reactions only mirrored the opposite of what Liana's response was. If the older exorcists were silent with uncertainty, the little girl instead had a big and almost proud grin on her face.

"I'm not an exorcist yet!" she told the boy with a slight laughter.

"But I'll definitely be someday! Just you wait!"

Kiri only responded with an uncertain nod before Komui took the initiative to stop the tensed atmosphere by releasing a loud clearing of throat. Everyone looked at him.

"Since General Kanda also returned, we might as well talk about the results of your missions."

He turned to his niece with a smile.

"Liana-chan, can you show Kiri-kun around our home while we discuss something?"

The two children exchanged glances until the girl nodded with a determined grin.

"I don't mind jii-chan! I'll make sure he'll feel at home."

Ever since she was born, she had been the only child around the Main Headquarters of the Black Organization. Though she was happy playing around with her uncle and the scientists at the Science Department, listening to the stories of her uncle Crowley, fooling around with her Lavi-jii-chan, baking cookies with her auntie Miranda, having a teasing session with her Kanda-jii-san, or just plain being a daughter to her loving okaa-san, she still had the secret desire to have a playmate around her age.

So it was no wonder that Liana was so excited upon knowing that a youngster like her would be a part of their family from now on.

Though he didn't seem to be "playmate" material…

"Ne," Liana twirled to the new boy while they walked. "What should I call you?"

Kiri shrugged at her with a slight annoyed face.

"I don't care. Anything will be fine."

The girl smiled. "Then is Kiri-san alright? Or Kiri-kun? Kiri-chan? Or just Kiri?"

A sigh. "I told you anything's alright."

His answer made Liana pout. Her action caused a slight blush on Kiri's face but the girl was already too busy thinking to notice.

"Hmm…Kiri-san seems to be unfitting…If I call you Kiri-chan, it'll sound like I'm talking to a girl…but If I call you with just Kiri, it'll look like I'm being impolite, and mommy told me to be polite with people I just met…"

There was a moment of silence as she continued to think. Kiri could only watch her with a half confused – half amused expression. He twitched in surprise when she suddenly jerked her head up and looked at him with a grin.

"Then I'll call you Kiri-kun!"

Kiri just stared at her. Liana didn't mind though and instead, grinned at him more.

"In exchange, you can call me anything you like too! I'm Liana by the way."

"I know. I heard the exorcists call your name."

"Great! Now that we know each other's names, I'll show you around your new home!"

Kiri didn't have a chance to speak for himself when the girl had deliberately grabbed his hand in hers and pulled him to wherever she's bringing him. He would like to walk by himself but seeing Liana's wide smile on her lips and the way she was skipping in her steps made him think otherwise.

But that's not enough to tolerate what he had been seeing in embarrassment.

He tugged at her hand before stopping in his tracks.

"Hey."

The action was a success as the girl paused and twirled around to face him. She smiled.

"Yeah?"

Kiri looked away. "Are you…Are you really planning on walking around wearing _that_?"

It took a few seconds for Liana to register what he had stuttered. When she finally got what he meant, her face suddenly burned red and she immediately let go of his hand to hold down the hem of the frills attached to her swimsuit, as if her actions could cover some of her exposed skin.

"Waah! I forgot!"

Liana knew the boy was watching her in amusement, and it only made her feel more embarrassed. Truthfully, she didn't mind it if she's with her okaa-san or her uncles and auntie. But Kiri was a different case. He's a newcomer and a boy around her age at that. She wouldn't want it if he suddenly decided not to become friends with her just because of her little mishap.

She slowly looked at him with a blush.

"I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked. "Please don't be mad!"

The words that escaped from her mouth made him raise his eyebrow. Why would he be angry with such a trivial thing?

'_I guess…girls are like that.'_ He mused in his thoughts before sighing.

"I'm not angry. Why don't you change first before you show me around?"

He was obviously annoyed but not angry – which relieved the girl. She quickly agreed to his suggestion and led him to the dormitory part of the Headquarters, gleefully mentioning that he would have his own room in the dormitories later.

Not more than 5 minutes, Liana emerged from her room with a big grin on her face. The swimsuit was gone and was replaced by a blue Chinese ensemble with small lily designs at some parts of her blouse and pants. Kiri also noticed that her long hair was brushed out more than before.

"What do you think? Is this ok?" Liana asked him.

Kiri could only raise a brow again.

"Well…it's better than the swimsuit."

The girl nodded and grabbed his hand again before pulling him out from the dormitories – to which the boy could only react with a helpless sigh. He didn't know a soon-to-be exorcist like her could be so enthusiastic.

That's what bugged him about the girl since she proclaimed her want to be an exorcist earlier. He can't understand why she wanted to be put in "danger". His young 7-year-old mind can understand that every exorcist had a reason for becoming one, just like what Miranda-dono had explained to him back in his hometown. But when he saw the scene displayed at the office awhile ago, how the girl had loving people around her – people who were obviously willing to protect her, he can't comprehend why she even wanted to danger herself. What was her reason? Did she want to protect them in return? If that's it, why would she even do that? He's sure many of those people earlier were not even her blood relatives. Why would she want to protect them if that's the case?

"This is the cafeteria. We eat here during meals so you should go here if you feel hungry. Jerry-jii-chan is the cook so I'm sure you'll…"

He wasn't paying much attention to what she was saying, and he wanted his questions to be answered so he tugged at her hand again for the second time, stopping her from her tracks.

"Is there a problem Kiri-kun?" she asked with a curious gaze.

He narrowed his young sapphire eyes at her.

"Why do you want to become an exorcist?"

Silence…

Liana stared at him with a slight surprised gaze, never really expecting to be asked with such a question. But she's never going to disappoint him with silence.

"Why do I want to be an exorcist…" she repeated his question to herself. Then with a grin,

"To protect my family of course!"

His expression didn't change. _'I knew it!_' He kind of expected she'll answer like that, but it won't satisfy him just yet.

"I don't understand." He stated. "Your mom's an exorcist right? And a strong one at that…why would you want to protect her when she herself protects _you_? Wouldn't that inconvenience her?"

He waited for her to answer but all he got was a blink and a slight tilt of head to the side. The action caused a twitch on his brows.

"What I'm saying is, -

"I know."

He stopped in his speech when Liana cut in. Her curious gaze was gone and was replaced with a kind smile. Kiri stared at her for a moment.

"You knew." He muttered. "Then why…?"

Liana sighed and turned around as she began to walk. Kiri had no choice but to follow her.

"Oi, I'm asking you."

"How about you Kiri-kun? Why did you agree to be an exorcist?"

His eyebrow twitched again in annoyance and he was about to cut her off when he saw the expectant look she's been giving to him. He frowned then looked away as if defeated.

"It's for revenge."

His fists clenched. "I want to avenge my parents."

A pause.

"You don't have to act cool in front of me Kiri-kun."

A jolt of shock ran through the young boy's body as he swiveled towards her. He was greeted with a smile.

"I'm not acting cool in front of you, brat! I'm being serious here!"

Liana only giggled at him.

"I'm just joking, silly. You're just _too_ gloomy it's starting to scare me…"

Kiri huffed and turned away. "It's not my problem."

He peeked at her. "You still haven't answered my question."

"It's just the same as you, Kiri-kun." The girl replied as she skipped in front of him. Kiri blinked.

"What do you mean?"

"Your reason might be for revenge but the truth is, you're doing it for your family right?"

Something clicked inside the boy's mind when he heard her say those words. He frowned at her.

"Of course I'm doing it for my family. My revenge is for them."

"Then it's the same."

Liana nodded. "My family is also the reason why I want to be an exorcist…"

A pause. "You told me right? That mommy might think I'll just be an inconvenience if I'll also fight. But for me, it's more inconvenient if I don't fight."

The boy creased his brows. "But…"

"Mommy's always away because of her missions." Liana cut in with a sad smile. "She always tells me that I don't have to worry. She always tells me that she will protect me...and I believe in her."

She looked at Kiri with teary eyes. The boy tensed.

"H-Hey, you don't have to –

"But every time I see her injuries, I feel sad. She will always smile at me and tell me it's ok, but it still makes me sad because those injuries are there because of me! I don't want to see her like that. I want to protect her too!"

Kiri was increasingly becoming uncomfortable by the second. He didn't intend for her to cry after all, and the last thing he wanted was feeling the cold blade of his master's sword on his throat because he made Liana cry.

"T-Then.." he quickly thought of something to say. "But…you still don't have to fight. There are lots of people who can protect your mom… I mean…"

He scratched his head then sighed when he found nothing to say.

"Hey, I'm sorry alright so…stop crying already."

Liana shook her head and started to messily wipe her tears, some strands of her long teal hair was caught by her fingers and was smudged on her wet cheeks. He could only sweatdrop at how she looked.

"It's ok Kiri-kun." She muttered then smiled.

"Anyway, it's not only my mom, I also want to protect everyone here. I want to protect them because they're my family."

"Your family…" Kiri narrowed his eyes. "You say they're your family, but a lot of people here are not even your _real_ family. Why do you need to protect them?"

The question made the girl freeze. They stared at each other and for a moment, Kiri thought she'll refuse to answer. But she suddenly chuckled at him in a hearty manner. He frowned at that.

"W-What's funny?"

"It's you who's funny!" Liana giggled. She grinned at him.

"Do people have to be related in order to be family?"

A somewhat jolt of lightning went through the boy's body. His reaction made his companion giggle again. But she understood his confusion so she kept it low.

"Mommy once told me that as long as people love each other and are willing to do everything for each other, they are considered as family."

She continued with a proud smile. "All of us here are like that. We understand and love one another so we're _family_. Everyone who comes here becomes part of our family. You included!"

She suddenly grabbed the boy's hands in hers, causing him to break from his trance.

"So cheer up, Kiri-kun! You're not alone! We're here and I'm here!"

She smiled more. "We're your new family now. We'll protect you."

As if struck by lightning again, the boy stared at his companion in wide tensed eyes. He was utterly surprised with what she said because he had never thought things in that perspective. He had never looked at life in that angle. Ever since his parents were killed by akuma, all he had ever thought and felt was the loneliness and the despair caused by his tragedy. He knew it was normal. But this girl…the girl who was smiling goofily at him, she had the nerve to call him as family! Even if it was the first time she met him! Was she really sincere? Or just plain stupid?

But either way, he can't deny that her words had somehow comforted him. If what she really said was true, then being an exorcist might not be as depressing as what he thought.

Liana felt how her friend relaxed in her hold so she inwardly congratulated herself for a job well done. Although he might not say it, she knew her words had somehow got through him.

With a big nod, she patted his shoulder as if comforting him then started to walk again. Kiri just raised his eyebrow at her action then let out a small smile.

Liana giggled.

"Ok! Now let's go meet Jerry-jii-chan! I'm sure you'll like him!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Happy Birthday Liana-chan!"

That night, the party started for the birthday of the Black Order Organization's "little princess". The cafeteria was full of decorations everywhere and food was heartily served on the tables. Everyone was happily chatting with each other while most of them went to the celebrant now and then, either congratulating her for another year of life or presenting her with a gift.

"Here's my present as promised Liana-chan!" Lavi cheered as he held out a palm-sized package wrapped in pink paper and a white ribbon.

He winked at her. "I hope you'll like it."

Liana nodded with an excited smile as she reached out to accept the gift.

"Thank you Lavi-jii-chan! Can I open it now?"

The red head grinned. "Sure you can. Go on! Tell me if you liked it."

Lavi watched as the girl enthusiastically opened the small gift he presented to her. He blinked when he saw a familiar pair of blue satin ribbons wrapped around her hair in two sections, dividing it into two pigtails. He chuckled when a younger image of a close friend of his was suddenly generated in his mind.

"So your mother already gave you her gift huh?"

Liana blushed then nodded with a smile.

"It's really pretty isn't it jii-chan? I'm so happy mommy gave me this."

"Yeah. And it suits your dress just right." The red head smiled. "You look just like your mother when she was younger!"

As the people went on and talked with their friends, the mother of the celebrant decided to just stay in the sidelines and either watch the celebration in silence or wander around offering food or drinks. It was the only thing she could do to stop herself from tearing up in such a happy occasion. Her baby girl had just turned six. She can't believe how fast time went by.

But that's not the only reason her tears just kept on appearing at the sides of her eyes. It was also the fact that _he_ was still not there. Six years of waiting and he still hadn't woken up. And she can't help but to feel sorry for not only herself but for her child as well. Although Liana always received many gifts during her birthday, she, as her mother, knew that those gifts can only provide her daughter a temporary happiness. What her girl really wanted was…

"Still the same as ever, I see."

Lenalee's thoughts were suddenly halted at the uninvited intrusion of someone who talked behind her. She turned around curiously and was met with emerald sharp eyes. One of the eyebrows of the person was raised, while she twirled a lock of her red hair with a smirk on her lips.

"It's been a while Miss Lenalee."

The Chinese woman blinked at the new presence of a visitor before she in turn gave her own smirk. She bowed slightly in respect before standing up again and offering a drink.

"Officer Lucille, it's nice of you to come. Is Officer Gerald here as well?"

Lucille nonchalantly accepted the juice Lenalee offered her before she shrugged and pointed to a particular man among the crowd.

"Of couse he's here. He said he can't leave me alone like this. Not in my condition."

Lenalee smiled then looked down at the slightly swollen midsection of the officer.

"Oh, you're coming along quite well. How many months is it again?"

"About four months I suppose." Lucille sighed as if tired. "I didn't know being pregnant was this hard. If only I knew beforehand, I could have put it off for another year or so."

"But it's not like you regret it, right?"

The red-haired officer shrugged again before taking a sip from her juice and letting her eyes wander on the people. She smiled when she saw her Asian partner talking to the celebrant while offering a fairly big wrapped gift.

"I don't regret it." She finally answered and smirked again.

"Besides, Gerald's willing to do everything in my place. Although I might be overdoing it with the orders…"

"Well, that's what husbands usually do."

Then there was silence. Lucille took it as a chance to study the Chinese woman more. In all the years they'd known each other, she would always notice the lack of spark from Lenalee Lee's eyes. The female exorcist would try to hide it by smiling and laughing on the outside, but she's sure that the lack of life of her soul can easily be seen by her closest friends. And even an "outsider" (who knew the events 6 years ago) could easily deduce the reason behind that.

She could understand it though. She may had been a villain in Lenalee's life once upon a time, but she was also a woman who had found the right person for her and had fallen in love. The only difference she had from the Chinese woman was the word "marriage" and a just-turned-six adorable daughter who's eyes were just like her father's – who in turn was once her price charming.

That part about the "prince charming" was long ago because now, she had her own _prince_ (she could only scoff at that) to love. And if she ever was to experience what Lenalee had been going through, she didn't know if she could take it.

"Stop being _emo_ for once." Lucille suddenly blurted after the silence. Lenalee looked up at her in surprise. The officer raised a brow.

"It's Liana-chan's birthday. She'll be upset if she saw her mother depressed."

"Besides," she smiled. "_He'll_ definitely be upset too if he saw you depressing over him."

Lenalee stared at the female officer for a moment until she chuckled and nodded.

"Thank you for your concern officer. It's rare to hear you saying those kinds of things."

Lucille shrugged again. "Hmph. I'm not doing it for your sake. I'm doing it for your daughter."

Although she said it like that, Lenalee can still see the slight blush on Lucille's cheeks - which in turn made her smile. It's been five years since she first saw the red-haired officer personally. It was Liana's first birthday, and the Headquarters was surprised to see two officers arriving with news of their observation. Those officers were Lucille Bashkir and Gerald Vail. She recognized immediately who the woman was. After all, it was she who once caused a ripple in her and her fiance's relationship. And even if that was long ago, she still hadn't forgotten the face of the woman who dared stepped in her love's life.

Lucille didn't like seeing her either and at first, they were often giving out side glares to each other now and then. But Lucille's job was not to have a catfight with the Chinese exorcist. The glares and side comments were stopped and soon the two were having a decent conversation. Upon knowing that Lucille was already in love with someone else and getting to know each other (good thing Lucille had changed her ways considerably), the two of them finally became friends. Add the fact that it was Lucille and Gerald who justified her fiancé's actions in front of the Vatican, so she was also grateful for the officers' deeds. Although sometimes, they would have a little sarcastic chit chat about the past, it was nothing near serious as what they had been spouting before.

Realizing that she had enough reminiscing over the past, Lenalee decided to continue her conversation with Lucille, albeit with a different and more serious topic.

"Anyway officer," she muttered to get the other female's attention. "Are you here for the annual check-up? I thought you could skip this year."

Lucille glanced at her then sighed. She took another sip on her juice.

"That's what I said, but the Administration didn't want to. They said everything that happens to Liana is important so we shouldn't skip on the check-up."

Lenalee sighed. "Are they still believing that my daughter could be an immensely powerful exorcist because of her lineage? And the innocence that acts as her heart now?"

"Well, they can't help it." The officer answered immediately. "She and her father are very similar after all. Both have a parasitic type of innocence, and both have their hearts invaded by said innocence. Since her father had turned out to be a legendary individual, the same thing will be expected from her as well, since she's his daughter."

She gave the Chinese woman a serious gaze.

"About that, you haven't given your answer yet. Are you going to let her be an exorcist?"

Another silence reigned between them.

Lenalee stared at her daughter a few meters away from her. "She said she wants to be one."

"Figures." Lucille smirked. "So you're going to let her?"

A sigh. "Why are you asking me anyway? It doesn't depend on me if she'll be an exorcist or not."

"…You're right."

"Besides, even if I stopped her, she'll still pursue it anyway. Just like her father."

There's a pregnant pause before the officer nodded and placed the empty juice glass on a table.

"Good then. Now that we have your consent, we can continue with the new _check-up_."

Lenalee's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say, the Administration had a change of plans." Lucille started before walking away.

"Don't worry, it definitely won't endanger Liana-chan's life…if she doesn't push it too far."

The exorcist raised her brows. "Wait, what? I don't understand…"

"Relax! Just enjoy the party. We'll talk tomorrow."

And off went the officer after letting out a shrill cheery yell of her daughter's name. Lenalee thought over what Lucille revealed, but realizing that guessing over it won't do her any good (and her serious façade might spoil the fun around), she just let it slip off her mind for now and just concentrate on the party. There's always tomorrow anyway.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Mommy, can I sleep here tonight?"

2 hours had passed since the party ended and Lenalee was not surprised to see her daughter standing in front of her room while hugging her rabbit stuffed toy. She smiled when she noticed the old blue blanket wrapped around the girl's shoulders.

"I thought you can handle sleeping all by yourself?" Lenalee teased.

Liana pouted with a blush. "I can! I just want to sleep with you tonight is all!"

Her mother smiled. "Alright, alright! Come on in then!"

She opened the door more to let the small child walk in her room. Liana immediately went to the bed and positioned herself to the right, beside the wall and the small window. That was always her place whenever she came to sleep with her mother. After closing the door, Lenalee approached the bed and sat there beside her daughter.

"Have you opened your gifts already?"

The girl nodded. "There are so many things mommy! And Lavi-jii-chan gave me some _really_ cute earrings! I can get my ears pierced now right?"

"You're already old enough so you can."

"But you know mommy?" the little girl looked up to her mother. "The gift that I like the most is the one from you."

She tugged at her hair. "See? I'm still wearing them!"

Her girl's statement made the mother blush in happiness as she reached out and hugged Liana from the side. The little girl eagerly hugged her back.

"Really? You like my gift?" Lenalee smirked a bit. "Even better than your uncle Komui's?"

Liana sweatdropped. "A robotic rabbit pet that can drink coffee is ok…but I still like these ribbons kaa-san!"

Lenalee's smirk widened. _'It's my win, nii-san!'_

"I'm very glad to hear that then!"

The mother and daughter continued to talk about a few more things about her birthday party. But after at least 10 minutes, Liana was already lying on the bed while hugging her rabbit toy. Her eyes were all droopy in tiredness as she snuggled more into her blanket. Lenalee noticed this and chuckled at how her daughter's trying to stay awake more.

"We should sleep now, honey. You look so tired."

The girl nodded. "Ne kaa-san, you don't have a mission tomorrow right?"

"No." The exorcist tugged some strands of her daughter's hair on her ear. "Do you want to do something tomorrow?"

"Not really. I'm just glad you're here kaa-san…"

A pause.

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Wishes do come true right?"

The question made Lenalee curious and for a moment, she stared down at Liana with slightly widened eyes, as if she's trying to find out the reason behind such a question from the girl's sleepy orbs.

"Hmm….not all of our wishes can be granted dear." Lenalee answered gently. Liana frowned a little.

"Then…"

"But," the mother interrupted with a smile. "If you pray hard enough and do your best, it might come true. As long as you believe, someday, it might be granted."

It took a moment for Liana to digest what her mother told her. When it seemed she finally understood, the sleepiness from her eyes was temporarily gone and was replaced by a bright spark while she looked up to meet her kaa-san's violet orbs.

"Then if I do my best," she grinned with her eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Daddy will come back?"

Silence…

The follow-up question caught Lenalee off guard that she tensed up and widened her eyes more in surprise. Her reaction didn't faze Liana though as she was still looking up to her while waiting eagerly for an answer, or maybe an assurance that she was right.

Then she saw it. She saw the hope shining in her daughter's eyes. It was a strong desire that must've been inside her for a long time. Why hadn't she realized it before? And the question that she still hadn't answered…so Liana really wanted to see her father that much?

'_So all along, she was thinking she could do something to bring her father back…'_

Lenalee smiled as she fought back tears.

'_You should hurry up, Allen…your daughter's waiting for you…'_

"Of course, dear. He will definitely return someday."

Liana grinned again at her answer then snuggled closer to the exorcist. She finally closed her eyes with a smile residing on her petite lips.

"Then I'll do my best mommy…so I can bring daddy back…"

Lenalee smiled before lying on the bed too.

"I'll be looking forward to it then."

"Good night mommy."

"Good night."

'…_We're all still waiting for you.'_

_

* * *

_

**AN: **OK, I know this whole space won't be enough to explain my sudden 3 or 4 months of silence but I'll still tell you the summary of my reasons in one word: SCHOOL. I also know that "school" is an overused reason for a hiatus but trust me, if you want to have a lot of free time to do extra stuff while studying, do NOT enroll in a college that implements the "quarter system". XD

Anyway, I'm still sorry for this late update and to compensate, I exerted more effort in this chapter (there might still be some errors…XD) and is hoping you enjoyed it enough to forgive me for my lateness.

And THANK YOU VERY VERY VERY MUCH for the lovely people who had read and reviewed the last chapter! Your reviews are one of the few things that still drive me to finish this story so I really appreciate your feedback! (Because I'm seriously lacking inspiration due to D. Gray-man's hiatus for the UMPEETH time! XD)

AND I'm still continuing this story! The ending's about 3 or 4 chapters away!^^

Unrelated: At last! I am now a college sophomore! Goodbye MATH and PHYSICS! I definitely won't miss you! XD


	21. The Child part 2

Standard Disclaimer Applied.

**Recap**: Six years had passed and Lenalee's daughter, Liana is now a charming girl who wants to be an exorcist like her mother. She remained clueless about her father's identity. The new exorcists didn't know of Allen's existence since the Central forbade everyone to say anything about him. Kanda's now a general and had brought with him a boy apprentice named Kiri , Lucille and Gerald were assigned to oversee Liana's yearly "check-ups" while the others remained pretty much the same. At Liana's birthday party though, Lucille told Lenalee that there had been a change of plans for the little girl.

* * *

"Focus. Remember how you felt when you first synchronized with your innocence."

A few hours after the party, the Main Headquarters was back to business again. Scientists were scurrying in the research labs while exorcists were either heading towards their next mission, or resuming training. Of course, this also meant that the newcomers will start their lives as new exorcists.

Liana sat at the sides while she watched Kiri, the latest newcomer and her "playmate", try to synchronize with his innocence for the third time. The boy had started his training as soon as he finished his breakfast and since Liana had nothing better to do, she followed her new friend to the training grounds and was watching his progress ever since.

"That's it. Maintain your focus and that feeling. When you're sure it's already steady, say: Activate."

The little girl can also see that Kiri's master, her Kanda-jii-chan, was beginning to get impatient with the boy. It didn't help that he had such a short temper, and that it was actually his first time having an apprentice under his wing.

Kiri's brows narrowed in concentration and with a slight uncertainty,

"Activate!"

Contrary to what the master and the watcher hoped, there was no synchronization that took place.

Kiri collapsed in a sitting position on the cemented floor while Kanda sighed in impatience and slight helplessness. He didn't know training a newcomer could be this hard, if only he had more experience in teaching. Then again, he's not the type to actually care and teach for someone else so the only thing he could do was to rely on his memories when he was still training under General Tiedoll.

The boy was obviously frustrated too, especially since he was surrounded with other newcomers who were training under senior exorcists. He thought activating the innocence would be easy since trained exorcists did it with so much ease; add the fact that he was supposed to excel since his mentor was none other than the swordsman General Kanda Yuu. Earlier in the morning, he was even approached by teenaged friendly newcomers who expressed their jealousy of him being under Kanda's wing aside from their "welcome to the Black Order"s. They told him General Kanda was one of the exorcists who eliminated the Noah during the first war and was known to be one of the strongest, so being Kanda's apprentice meant a lot would be expected from him, especially since he's the General's very first disciple.

And so Kiri hoped that also meant that his training would be easier since not all newcomers got to be taught by a General. He didn't expect that he would be lagging like this, when the other newcomers were able to use their innocence already.

He eyed the rings around his fingers. The rings were connected by very small chains to a platinum plate around his wrists, where a glowing green cross was embedded. He frowned at the jewelry-like metals that were supposed to be his innocence.

"Don't give up Kiri-kun! Try again!"

The boy looked up to the small girl who was watching him at the sides with a smile as if she was amused. Her amused smile somehow irked him, but when he saw her encouraging eyes and the determination that sparked there as if she was actually the one training, he somehow felt more determined too and gave the girl a friendly smirk in return.

"Who said I'm giving up?" he retorted as he stood. "The thought didn't even cross my mind!"

He stared at Kanda seriously.

"Shishou! Let's try again!"

Kanda nodded and urged him to start. "Again, focus!" he told his student as he waited for the boy to close his eyes and immerse himself in concentration. He suddenly held his sword.

"Maintain that concentration." He said then touched the hilt of Mugen as he slowly moved in an attacking stance. Liana saw this and widened her eyes in slight alarm. What was her uncle thinking?

Kanda narrowed his eyes for a moment then without warning, pulled his sword out and dashed towards the still concentrating boy. He posed to land a fast slash towards him.

"Innocence activate!"

Suddenly, Kiri opened his eyes wide and quickly held up his ringed hands in the air. The rings on his thumbs glowed and in a split second, dozens of short swords appeared and flew towards Kanda in the speed of light. The General was caught in slight surprise then smirked, changing positions to instead dodge the numerous blades dashing towards him. When the blades were all dodged, Kiri's index and fore fingers glowed then released a large axe bigger than his small frame. The boy still tried to hold it but his effort was in vain when the axe only fell to the floor in a loud thud, his innocence activation quickly disappearing together with the heavy weapon.

Kiri gasped to catch his breath and collapsed on the floor, sweat rolling down his temples. Liana stood from her position then ran towards her friend. She knelt beside him.

"Kiri-kun, you ok?"

The boy nodded slowly in answer. Kanda jumped a few feet away then sheathed Mugen, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"That's how you activate your innocence. What did you feel that caused you to activate it?"

Kiri hesitated then finally spoke.

"Fear."

The Japanese nodded. "Remember that fear very well, then convert it to will. You'll need that will to use your innocence and destroy akuma."

The master and student stared at each other before Kiri nodded and slowly sat up.

"Acting like the great teacher now, are we General Kanda?" a voice suddenly interrupted. Kanda looked back and frowned at the person behind him.

"Lavi." he glared at the red head. "You're disturbing our training."

Lavi shrugged. "It's about time you let the boy take a break. You almost killed him there you know."

He glanced at Kiri and gave him a grin. "You alright there kid? Yu's really sadistic so try to adjust to his mood swings – ACK!"

The red head winced when he felt the hilt of Mugen stabbed at his side. He slapped it away with his arm and playfully punched the Japanese's shoulder with his fist.

"That hurt real bad, you know."

Lavi stuck his tongue out at Kanda then walked towards the two kids. He crouched beside Kiri and grinned at him again.

"Summoning different weapons in thin air huh? That's a pretty cool innocence you got there kid! Though it seemed the summons depend on which fingers you use."

The boy blushed at the older exorcist's comment while Liana nodded in agreement. She grinned boyishly at Kiri.

"Lavi-jii's right! I was really surprised when you made those blades appear Kiri-kun!" She sighed and smiled.

"I wish my innocence is as cool as yours…"

Her dream-like statement made the boy widen his eyes in confusion.

"You have an innocence?"

The question took the two adults' attention. They exchanged glances before diverting their gazes towards the talking kids, as if unsure what they should do in the situation. But before they could even say something, Liana beat them to it.

"Of course I have Kiri-kun!" she answered with a giggle. "I wouldn't swear to be an exorcist if I don't have an innocence."

Kiri narrowed his eyes curiously at her. "What's your innocence then?"

The question made the girl brighten up as she began to unbutton her Chinese top. The action made the boy blush and the two adults panic.

"Woah! What are you doing –

"L-Liana-chan, you don't have to do that –

"Lia –

But they were too late when the girl tugged her blouse downward, enough to show the boy the glowing cross on her upper center chest, just a few centimeters below her collarbone.

"This is my innocence Kiri-kun!" she presented proudly. "I don't know what it does yet b'cause I haven't started training. But I really hope it's cool too!"

Kiri stared, slightly frightened at the cross on her chest.

"W-Why is it in your body?"

A pause.

"That's called a parasitic type of innocence Kiri-kun." Lavi offered the explanation. He ruffled Liana's hair and told her to button her blouse up.

"Parasitic type?"

"It's an innocence that treats its accommodator's body as its host." Kanda continued. "Yours is an equipment type because it's separate from your body. But with the case of the parasitic type, the innocence becomes part of the body."

The half-confused half-understanding stare Kiri gave him made the General sigh in defeat and decided to close the topic.

"I'll explain to you later on. Take a break now; we'll resume training after 10 minutes."

After that being said, the two adults remained standing as they talked about something while the two children sat a few meters away from them. Liana watched patiently as Kiri drank from a bottle of water she gave him when they sat there. Upon finishing up the contents of the bottle, the boy threw it in a trash can nearby and wiped his wet mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. Liana chuckled then playfully threw a clean white towel on his head.

"You should use that to wipe yourself you know." She told him with a grin.

Kiri took the towel from his head then stared at it as if contemplating what to do with it. He shrugged after a few seconds then used it to wipe the pending sweat on his forehead. Then there was silence.

His eyes wandered to the small frame of the girl beside him and finally gave in to the curiosity that's building up in him.

"So…" he began after diverting his gaze from her. "Where did you get it?"

Liana blinked at his question.

"What?"

"Where did you get it?...that innocence of yours?"

An 'o' formed in the girl's lips as she understood his question. She raised her legs up to her knees then wrapped her arms around it. She rested her chin on her knees then tried to form the words to explain.

"Hmm…they said this innocence saved my life…that I already have it since I was born."

Kiri thought about her answer then glanced at her in confusion.

"Then you inherited it? From your mother?"

The girl shook her head with a smile. "No. Mommy's an ordinary person with an equipment type innocence."

"Then is it from your father?"

"No." Liana answered again with a laugh. "I didn't inherit it from my parents Kiri-kun. The innocence just came to me when I was still a baby."

"Then attached itself to your body." Kiri continued with a wince. He took the towel again and wiped his neck.

"I don't mind." Liana responded with a chuckle. "It's what keeping me alive, they said. So I should treasure it."

The boy nodded then lowered his hand holding the towel. He diverted his stare to the two adult exorcists talking with each other just a few meters away from them. Eyeing the sword innocence of his master, another question formed in his head and he faced Liana again.

"Why aren't you training then if you already have that innocence since you were a baby?"

The question made the girl frown and for a moment, Kiri thought he had offended her.

"They say my case is very rare so all I did was to have check-ups on my body every year. They say they'll tell me if I'm ready."

The depressed tone in the girl's voice made Kiri struggle to say something to comfort her, but he can't form any words to tell since he himself was not familiar to parasitic types and all. Liana saw him struggle though and nudged him on the shoulder with another boyish grin, as if she was the one comforting him.

"Don't worry about it Kiri-kun." She told him. "Besides, even if I'm ready, there won't be any exorcist available to take me as their apprentice."

What she said made the boy raise a brow.

"Your mother's a senior exorcist, so as Lavi-dono."

Liana chuckled. "I know. But mommy's the assistant supervisor at the Science Department so she can't take any apprentice. Aside from that, she's also too busy with missions to actually teach a newcomer."

"Lavi-jii-chan can't take me either." She continued with a sigh. "He's obligated to only teach someone who will inherit his title as Bookman."

The boy confused over the term "Bookman" but chose to forget it for the moment. He nodded.

"Then how about –

He stopped mid-question then slowly glanced at her in surprise.

"That reminds me, where's your father?"

His question was spoken louder in surprise so it caught the two adults' attention. The children didn't notice though and continued their conversation, mainly with Kiri waiting for the girl's answer.

Liana tensed at the boy's question and she briefly glanced at her two uncles who were eyeing her with concern, as if asking if she needed help. Their concern made her decide to answer Kiri to show them that she can handle herself – maybe displaying a small act of independence can show them that she's ready to be an exorcist.

"Daddy's away, mommy said." She began with a sad smile. "So I can't see him for now."

Kiri nodded. "Is he an exorcist? Is he away because of a mission?"

Liana suddenly became uneasy with his follow-up questions since she didn't know how to answer them. Her mother failed to tell her any more information aside from "Daddy's away". She briefly remembered the times when she pulled some tantrums so that her mother would tell her more, but her okaa-san remained silent about it, only leaving her with a serious "I'll explain to you when you're old enough."

Having faced with an uneasy situation with Kiri, she suddenly felt she should have forced her mother to tell her more about her missing father.

"Liana?"

Her thoughts were stopped with the questioning voice of Kiri. She faced him with a sheepish grin.

"The truth is, Kiri-kun, I –

"Kiri."

They were interrupted with the deep voice of Kanda calling his apprentice to train. The boy gulped at the glare directed at him by the Japanese exorcist before he stood up and ran towards his master. Liana glanced at Kanda from whom she received a nod, as if telling her it's already alright while Lavi was grinning at her. She pouted at that. She was saved, again, by her protective uncles. Did that mean they still think she's too helpless?

She sighed and buried her face in her arms around her knees. She wanted to start training too. Being the only person in the Headquarters who lives "normally", she found it absolutely awkward not to be able to do things similar to what her family had been doing. She understood that she was still a child and they only wanted to protect her, but what about Kiri? He's a child too! Why can he train already when she still can't?

_I heard mommy started training when she was my age too…_ she thought in slight disappointment.

"Liana!"

Speaking of the woman who gave birth to her, she suddenly heard her mother calling her so she looked up and was surprised to see Lenalee beside Lavi, waving her hand. Liana's depressing thoughts were temporarily halted as she stood up and ran to her mother, arms embracing Lenalee's legs when she reached her.

"I've come to pick you up!" Lenalee told her daughter in a cheery tone. Liana looked up to her curiously.

"Where are we going mommy?"

"To your check-up dear." The mother answered in a calm voice in an attempt to hide her anxiety.

"Officer Lucille is already waiting for you."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Mommy, are you ok? Your hands are shaking…"

Lenalee took a deep breath before looking down at the worried face of her daughter. She gave the girl a small smile then returned her eyes to the hallways, gently squeezing the little girl's hand.

"I'm alright sweetie. I'm just a little worried."

Liana looked up at her curiously. "No need to worry mommy! It's just my check-up. I can handle myself!"

"I know." The Chinese exorcist replied with another smile. "I'm sorry. I won't worry too much then."

Contrary to what she said, Lenalee knew her worry for her girl won't be lifted until the check-up's over. It wasn't because she didn't trust her daughter to do well. Liana had been doing very good during her check-ups for the past five years, and she knew her daughter would do well this year too. But remembering what Officer Lucille discussed with her earlier in the morning, she can't help herself but to feel very worried even though the officer assured her Liana's gonna be safe.

What can she do? It's her motherly instincts that were making her worry so much.

There's something about how Lucille refused to tell her _everything_ about the new check-up, as if it would make her angry or uneasy if she knew what the Administration was up to again. What the officer left her was a simple reassurance that it was only a test to see if Liana could activate her innocence, and if she's ready to be an exorcist.

_So that's why she asked if I'll let Liana-chan be an exorcist._ She thought earlier, remembering the conversation she had with Lucille at the party last night.

She stopped her thoughts when she and her daughter were finally in front of lab no. 21, where Liana's new check-up would take place.

_This better be really safe, because if this turns out to be like the ones I had when I was – _

"Mommy look! It's auntie Shandez!"

Again, her thoughts were interrupted by Liana's happy yelp when she saw the familiar South American branch head talking to her brother. She let go of the girl's hand and watched as Liana ran and hugged the female doctor in glee. Shandez laughed in surprise and hugged the girl back, her eyes roaming to the entrance to grin at the girl's mother.

"Lenalee-chan! Long time no see!" Shandez greeted as she stood from her crouching position and took Liana's hand in hers.

"I'm sorry I missed the party last night. I have to finish a load of research so I didn't have enough time to catch up."

"It's ok, Shandez-san." Lenalee responded with a smile when she finally reached the doctor. Liana nodded.

"Mommy's right auntie! I don't mind. I'm glad you're already here for my check-up!"

Shandez grinned. "I'm happy to hear that! Don't worry, I'll give your present after we're done here."

As the little girl cheered, Komui shook his head and arranged his glasses. He gave the doctor a sarcastic smirk.

"As if an unworthy present such as yours could forgive your unforgivable sin of being absent during my lovely Liana's birthday. Such insolence!"

Shandez raised a brow at the supervisor. "Oh yeah? As if a robot rabbit drinking coffee can actually be labeled as a worthy gift!"

"Ok enough, I won't tolerate arguing in front of my daughter."

Lenalee interrupted before the childish spat could continue. The two older adults 'hmphed' and looked away from each other. Shandez sighed as if tired then looked at the female exorcist in a slight plead.

"Oh, do something about that brother of yours Lenalee! He's becoming worse as he gets older!"

Komui's ears perked. "I heard that. And the same goes for you."

Lenalee sweatdropped at the two of them. She was about to scold them again when the doors opened and in came Officer Lucille and Gerald Vail, along with a few other assistants from the Central Administration. Their presence made the atmosphere serious and soon the other people in the room were sporting no smile at all.

"We should get started soon." Lucille muttered and motioned for the assistants to prepare.

That was when Lenalee fully became aware of the room where the check-up was supposed to take place. The room seemed to be used as a control room since a lot of buttons and wires can be seen around them. Then at the far corner of the room was a wall-sized glass window, where a single hospital bed with multiple wires could be seen inside another room.

She hitched her breath at the sight of that lonely bed in the middle, and the metal door that was opened at the edge of the glass window. She didn't even notice when Liana was already led inside the sealed room beyond the window, her smile directed towards her. Suddenly, seeing her daughter inside there, Lenalee remembered something and she seemed to know what kind of check-up would take place there, and she's not about to go on agreeing on that.

"Officer." She called to Lucille with a warning glare. "I swear, if you do something _wrong_ with my daughter, I'll -

"You can do whatever you want with me if something wrong_ will_ happen." Lucille cut in with a serious tone.

She faced the exorcist in determination. "Just as I told you earlier, this check-up is harmless. I know this kind of scenario is awfully familiar to you, but this doesn't have any connection with it."

"Lucille's right Miss Lenalee." Gerald added. "This setup won't bring danger."

Lenalee felt a hand on her shoulder so she turned to see the assuring faces of her brother and Shandez.

"This is safe. You don't have to worry." Komui told his sister with a smile.

Shandez nodded. "I can assure you that. After all, I'm one of the people who made this program."

The Chinese exorcist stared at the faces of the people she trusted the most. After a good few seconds, she finally released a breath and slowly nodded in compliance, making the other people relieved as well. If the mother was finally calmed then they can proceed with the check-up smoothly.

After that brief confrontation, they all turned to the glass window to watch the check-up. Lenalee can see how her daughter was informed by assistants of what she should expect, then they went to attach the many wires to different parts of her body. After a few moments, an assistant faced them then gave them a thumbs-up.

"Her vital organs are functioning well." Shandez suddenly reported as she looked at complicated computer screens. "There's nothing wrong with her heart."

Lucille nodded. "Good. Proceed to phase 2."

Lenalee was about to ask what "phase 2" meant when she noticed an assistant approach her daughter and inject a liquid on her arm. She narrowed her eyes then turned to the officers cautiously.

"What's that?" she asked, eyes not leaving Liana.

"That's a drug that will put her in a dream-like state. No side effects."

"So you're going to put her to sleep?"

"Not exactly." Komui answered his sister. "She will still have a conscious awareness with her surroundings, but half of it will be under suspension."

The Chinese narrowed her eyes.

"Why do you have to place her in that state?"

Lucille sighed in impatience. "It's necessary for the test. Please just watch Lenalee."

Lenalee understood and finally stayed silent, although she was inching to state another question when the assistants began noting down in their clipboards. A couple of them glanced at Shandez and made some signs with their hands. Shandez understood all of them, with her fingers continuously pushing buttons in the controls. After a seemingly long 5-minute preparation, Shandez finally turned to the waiting people.

"She's ready. We can proceed to phase 3."

"Alright, start phase 3."

As soon as Lucille said that, Shandez pushed another set of buttons as the assistants stepped back to the four corners of the sealed room, their hands holding their clipboards in anticipation as if expecting for something to happen. For about six minutes, nothing was happening since Liana was lying still on the bed. Her eyes remained closed and her body was not moving. No one was speaking as they waited.

Then a finger from Liana's right hand twitched. The assistants tensed at the sudden movement and simultaneously leaned towards the girl's figure. Before they could even take a step though, Liana was thrashing her head from side to side, her hands up in the air as if she was trying to reach something.

"No! Wait!"

She was screaming and kept on waving her arms up. Her actions made Lenalee panic and she whipped her head to the still calmed officers.

"What's happening? Why is she like that?"

"It's because of the images she's been seeing in her simulated dream." Lucille answered then glanced at Shandez.

"Check her heart rate."

The doctor nodded then pushed some buttons again. Lenalee wasn't satisfied with the answer she got so she approached Lucille and pulled her right arm to get the officer to look at her. The action was sudden and Lucille was forced to look at the impatient eyes of the Chinese exorcist.

"Tell me what this dream is that she's seeing."

Her demand made the officer silent for a moment and she carefully glanced at the watching supervisor behind the exorcist, as if asking permission. Komui nodded at her with a helpless smile, telling her through the eye that it's better if they let Lenalee know. So with an equally defeated sigh, Lucille glanced at an assistant in the control room and nodded while gently retrieving her arm from Lenalee's grip.

"Show the simulation." She ordered.

The assistant didn't waste time and soon, the largest screen in the room was opened. There were a couple of seconds where statics can only be seen but when it died down, a number of familiar images shocked the Chinese exorcist.

"T-That's…"

The screen was showing _him_ in his teenage years, during the time when he first came to the Order. He was facing a woman who was unfamiliar.

"No! Nii-san that's an akuma!"

Liana was a few meters behind him, arms reaching in an attempt to get the attention of the young man and inform him of what she knew. Her cries did catch his attention so he turned then gave her a small smile – the same smile he usually gave to assure someone that he would be ok, that everything would be alright.

Lenalee hitched her breath as she watched him activate his innocence in the screen, the crimson damaged arm transforming into a larger clawed one that was his innocence, before he jumped and swooped his arm down to destroy the already revealed akuma in half. The scene was so nostalgic to her that Lenalee found herself almost tearing up a sob. But there was something important going on so she kept her feelings down and prevented herself from crying. It was not the right time.

"Why are you using _his_ image for this?"

She asked, eyes not leaving the screen. Komui chose to answer her question.

"For the past five years, we've been thinking of a way to help Liana activate her innocence without forcing her. We've been letting her watch the trainings of the newcomers so that she could get an idea how. But then, she doesn't seem to get it."

Lucille nodded. "Then after analyzing and brainstorming her case, we somehow understood the problem."

"It's because Liana is a parasitic type. All the newcomers for the past five years have been 80% equipment types so of course she wouldn't know how to activate hers since she's different. We figured we have to let her watch and see how a parasitic type activates and uses the innocence, so we created this simulation."

Komui smiled at his sister. "And the best way to teach her is to have him, the most similar to her case, demonstrate how it's done."

There was silence after that while Lenalee digested what her brother and Lucille explained. Her eyes were still not leaving the screen as if she was absorbing everything that's happening in the simulation, making the officer smirk at her antics.

"Savoring this chance to see him?" she whispered to the other female. "I can lend you that simulation."

Lenalee chuckled and shook her head, finally diverting her gaze to smile at the officer.

"Thank you, but it's ok. I don't need it."

Lucille sighed. "You don't mind, do you? Us using your fiancé's image without your permission…"

There was a moment of silence until Lenalee gave the other female an amused look. She smiled at her.

"Is this the reason why you refused to tell me any details earlier? You're worried about the simulation?"

Lucille tensed then a slight blush appeared on her face.

"W-Well, who knows if you'll be angry or not? And I'm so _not_ worried about you."

"I don't mind officer." The Chinese answered. She chuckled before her eyes returned to the screen.

"I'm actually glad you used his image to help Liana-chan."

Their conversation was halted when a bunch of akuma appeared in the screen, and the young image of Allen Walker faced Liana with a serious stare, as if he was about to say something. They watched as he reached out and held his hand to the little girl.

"He's inviting her to join him?"

Lenalee asked mostly to herself while she anticipated what her daughter would do. No one answered her since the others were also expecting what Liana's next action would be, as it would signify if she can be an exorcist or not.

They gasped when the girl on the screen stepped forward then nodded.

"She's going to do it." Komui stated in a half-nervous half-excited voice.

They held their breath when Liana closed her eyes as if concentrating while the young Allen took care of some of the akuma. The assistants inside the sealed room were hastily jotting down notes on their clipboards while Shandez was frantically pushing buttons and pulling levers on the controls. About 20 seconds after, Shandez suddenly stood from her seat.

"Her heart beat and blood pressure are shooting up in an impossible rate!"

She turned to the shocked people inside the control room.

"Officer, what are we going to do?"

A tensed silence filled the room while the doctor and the assistants waited the officer's decision, with only the attacking noises from the simulation the only things keeping them from panicking. A sweat drop rolled from Lucille's forehead as she cleared her throat.

"Liana's heart is an innocence so obviously it's not an ordinary body organ."

She slowly glanced at Lenalee who was surprisingly watching the simulation in a calm manner.

"But she's still a human being…" Lucille continued with a nervous gulp. "So it's time to –

"Wait."

The sudden interruption of the Chinese woman caused the others to tense up more and simultaneously turn to her to wait for what she had to say. Lenalee gave them a serious stare.

"Don't stop it." She stated then went to watch her daughter in the screen again.

"Liana-chan's doing her best there. If we interrupt this, it's like saying we don't believe in her."

A small smile went up to the mother's lips. "Let's wait for her."

There was a pregnant pause after that while the others tried to convince themselves that it was the same Lenalee – who was so worried earlier, who told them to wait and let her daughter do what she had to do. She had a point though and they all understood her feelings right away, so when it was obvious that Komui and the others agreed with Lenalee, Lucille nodded at Shandez and told her to just continue.

"Monitor her vital signs, especially her heart rate." She ordered. Shandez nodded back then went back to the controls.

With the interruption gone, they all returned to watching the screen in front of them. Young Allen was already finished with half the akumas that appeared, while Liana was still concentrating on trying to activate her innocence. Suddenly, a glow was released from her chest simultaneously with her real self from the sealed room. The assistants inside it were taking down notes more quickly as ever as the others stared unwaveringly at the screen. They hitched their breath and anticipated for the long-awaited activation of Liana's innocence.

But after at least 5 seconds, there was a sudden burst of glow then the neon green aura slowly diminished from the girl's chest. Lenalee and the others watched as Liana opened her eyes and stared down in confusion, as if she didn't know what happened.

There were a few eye blinks between the adults until they simultaneously sighed then looked at Shandez, expecting a report. The doctor felt their stares so she turned to them with a sweat drop.

"Looks like it's a false alarm…" she pointed at a digital chart in front of her. "She's ok. Her heart rate's normal now."

There was a somewhat exasperated sigh from Lucille before she shook her head in slight disappointment and pointed at the simulation.

"Ok, that's enough for now. Stop the simulation."

As soon as she said that, the screen turned black and Liana opened her eyes from the sealed room. She blinked a few times before sitting up on the bed, her hands immediately rubbing her eyes. The sound of the door opening reached her ears so she looked up to see her mother, her uncle, Shandez, and the two officers walking towards her.

"Liana-chan!" Lenalee greeted cheerfully before pulling the girl to her for a hug.

"How are you feeling?"

Liana hugged her mother back then her eyes widened in excitement.

"You won't believe this mommy! I had this dream where there was this awesome nii-san who fought akuma! His arm is his innocence mommy! Just like me with my heart!"

Komui and Shandez shared a knowing smile upon hearing what Liana said while Lenalee chuckled then nodded. She pulled away from their hug then took the girl's hands in hers.

"Really? Did he fight good?"

Liana nodded again. "Uh-huh! He's really great mommy!" Suddenly, her eyes were downcast.

"But…"

"But what?"

"I wish I could help him…"

No one answered since the adults weren't really sure what to say. Fortunately, they don't have to say anything any longer since the little girl saw how their faces were contorted with concern for her. She smiled up at them in an attempt to show to show that she's alright.

"It's ok. It's just a dream anyway."

She gently pulled a hand away from her mother's grip then placed it on top of her chest, above her heart. She gave Lenalee a determined grin.

"I'll definitely activate my innocence next time so I can help that big brother in my dream…"

-/-/-

-/-/-

After a final checking on Liana's body and a brief discussion of the results, the mother and daughter were finally allowed to return to whatever they were doing before they were called for the check-up. Liana quickly went on her way towards the training grounds, very much eager to show Kiri the new book she received from Shandez as a birthday present. Lenalee, on the other hand, was on her way towards the lounge area to talk with Miranda and her other friends, since she knew they were also eager to know the results of her daughter's check-up.

"So, how did it go?"

The Chinese exorcist released a small gasp and turned around with an irritated pout. She gave the red head a small glare.

"You surprised me Lavi! Quit doing that!"

Lavi only chuckled then gave her an apologetic grin.

"Sorry, didn't mean to do that." He looked around. "Where's Liana-chan?"

"Off to show Kiri-kun her new book."

The male started walking with her. Lenalee didn't complain since they were both going to the same destination anyway.

"Is she alright?" Lavi asked after awhile. "What did Officer Lucille say?"

The female paused for a moment before she sighed and started explaining the results they got from the check-up.

"She's fine. No abnormalities are found in her heart and she's as healthy as usual."

The red head looked at her from the corner of his eye then smirked.

"Something from your face tells me there's more to it." He gently nudged her arm with his elbow.

"Come on, you have to tell me. She's also precious to me you know."

The woman beside him giggled then swatted his elbow from her. She smiled at him.

"I know how you adore her, dummy! I was about to tell you anyway."

"Then go on! I'm all ears."

Lenalee playfully frowned at him then muttered a low "so impatient!" before she started forming the words inside her head.

"Well, they tried a different 'check-up' this time. Honestly though, I wouldn't call it a check-up. It's more like a preparation for training."

As she expected, her fellow exorcist suddenly looked down at her with a Bookman's interest.

"And what's that new check-up all about?"

A pregnant pause…

"It's a simulation." She continued with a serious tone. "They showed her a simulation where a young Allen was fighting akuma. Using his image, they tried to get Liana-chan activate her innocence."

Lavi raised his eyebrows. "Wait, hold on a sec…" he half grinned. "They used _his_ image in the simulation?"

"Yes."

His half grin turned into a full amused one as he paused for a moment to think. As if an idea formed in his mind, he turned to look at Lenalee with a knowing stare.

"They want Allen to teach Liana how to use the innocence, aren't they? Since Allen's the closest we have that resembles her case, it's a good idea to get him to teach her in a simulation…"

He nodded in approval. "I have to admit, that's a pretty good strategy they got there."

"I think so too." Lenalee added. "It's the first time her heart had a reaction. The cross on her chest was practically glowing during the simulation."

"So she's not even scared of the akuma? Did she manage to activate her innocence?"

She put a finger on her chin as if thinking. "I was surprised when she wasn't terrified of the akuma image in the simulation. Maybe it was because of the pictures and videos she had been seeing during her stays at the Science Department…"

She sighed. "…and unfortunately, no. There was a strong reaction but Liana-chan failed to synchronize. Brother told me that it's nothing to worry about since it was only the first time, and they're kind of forcing her to activate it anyway."

"What's the verdict then? Is she fit to be an exorcist or not?"

"Based from what happened, they said Liana-chan is fit and capable to fight. We just have to help her synchronize. So from now on, they will be concentrating on that."

Lavi nodded in understanding. _'So there's no helping it huh?'_ he thought to himself as he pictured the face of the little girl in his head. Truthfully, he would prefer it if Liana would stay as a normal girl. Like Lenalee, he hoped the girl would grow to live like other girls – playing, going to school, having friends and crushes…something totally different from the dangerous life of an exorcist. It's not only because her parents were his closest friends and she herself had already been important to him. It was also because he saw how her parents suffered during the war, how they both suffered both physically and emotionally. Remembering those times, he wished their daughter didn't have to go through such a life. He wanted the little girl to stay pure.

But then, her destiny as an exorcist had been marked ever since the innocence came to her and acted as her heart. They let her dream and have a goal like that since she was just a child and they thought she would just grow up and forget about it. But Liana was virtually so inclined in being a great exorcist and now that the Central's on it too, he guessed there's no stopping it now.

"So you're ok about it now, Lenalee? Finally letting your little girl pursue her dream?"

He thought his friend would be staying silent and would give him an impression that she didn't want to talk about it, just like what she did a few times before. But contrary to what he expected, the woman was sporting a bright smile with her eyes showing a certain warm spark.

"You know that I'm not alright with it…" she started as if reminiscing. "But that was before. When I found out the reasons she has for wanting to be like us, I can't disagree any longer."

Lavi's ears perked up, in time to break his surprise. "Reasons? What are her reasons?"

Lenalee looked up to him.

"She wants to protect us Lavi…everyone here. She wants to protect her family. It's like she doesn't want to be left behind…"

"Just like you." Lavi stated. The female exorcist froze for a moment then nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah…just like me."

Then her smile widened. "On top of that, she said she'll bring her daddy back. Maybe that's the main reason why…"

"She'll bring _him_ back?" the red head asked in slight disbelief. "She said that?"

The mother giggled.

"Yup."

Silence…

"Woah…" Lavi muttered, his lips slowly forming into a grin again. "That girl sure has guts! I didn't think she would say something like that…"

Lenalee nodded. "I was surprised myself too. I know she wants to see her father. But for her to swear that she'll bring him back…I was really surprised."

"And when I saw her determined eyes…" she continued with pride.

"…I felt that she _will_ do it. Somehow I knew she will definitely do it, and I'm not saying this because I'm her mother. That's why I'm going to give her a chance."

"Well, she has the same determination her father has…I guess I shouldn't be surprised if she really did manage to bring him back."

The two friends stared at each other, pride and understanding sparkling in their eyes.

Lavi smiled. "Since the mother fully approved of it already, I'll give my full support to Liana-chan too!"

"I knew you'll say that!"

They laughed and talked more about the simulation, with Lenalee relaying how Liana admired Allen in the simulation, and how ironic it was that her daughter didn't even know that the young man she saw was in fact the father she desired to see. Lavi nodded and relayed his thoughts about it also, saying that at least she liked Allen even if it was only a man-made image. It would make things easier for them at the time the Destroyer of Time finally wakes up.

"Oh, Lenalee-sempai?"

They simultaneously stopped at the mention of the Chinese exorcist's name around the corner of the hallway. The two friends looked at each other in wonder then slowly walked nearer to the source of the voice, their actions careful not to catch the attention of the one who mentioned Lenalee's name.

They stealthily took a peek beyond the wall and saw two female exorcists talking. One belonged to the batch that joined the Order just last year, then the other was among the newcomers from the last two months.

"Well, I heard Lenalee-sempai had a fiancé. Haven't you seen the engagement ring on her finger?"

"I saw that, sempai. But that's the point. Why is she still wearing an engagement ring? Isn't she married? I mean, is Liana-chan even her biological daughter?"

By that time, Lenalee and Lavi were already listening with raised eyebrows as they pondered the reason behind the two exorcists' conversation. The two were surprised that such a private matter would even be the topic of a gossip among their comrades.

Then again, it's been six years. Who wouldn't be wondering where the hell was Liana Lee's father?

* * *

**AN:** HIYAH PEOPLE!

First things first, belated MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! I know this greeting won't do much to ease the impatience from some (or most?) of you. But I have a _slightly_ better reason for being SOOO DAMN late this time. Oh joy!

Of course there's the constant reason of humongous school work. But the major reason is this: I HAVE ALREADY TYPED ABOUT 85% OF THE REMAINING CHAPTERS – which explains that long hiatus this story had. That means, the next chapters will be coming A LOT SOONER than before. I figured I should just finish it all at once than let you guys wait for another 3 months or so before the next update. So yeah, expect the last chapters by the next days or weeks. It depends on the amount I'll have to change or rewrite so I can't give an exact date. I can only assure you that you won't have to wait THAT LONG again.

That is, if you don't want to wait again. Or if you rather surprise yourself with a chapter once every 3 months, then just let me know. XD

Again, I'm sorry my friends! (You're probably tired of hearing this…XD) I'm happy you guys still liked this story even with the heavy delays and all. Now I don't really regret having a comeback here at ffnet.

On a side note: You may have noticed that this chapter is a lot shorter than the previous ones...this is actually half of the original chapter I've typed out. I have to cut it in half since it's _too _long...XD

See you SOON people! God bless! ^^


	22. The Dilemma

Standard Disclaimer Applied.

* * *

Lavi squeezed Lenalee's shoulder as he leaned to her ear. "Want me to stop them?"

The woman shook her head and whispered back. "Don't. Maybe it's just plain curiosity from the newcomer. It happens all the time anyway…"

Their whispers stopped when they resumed listening to the two unsuspecting exorcists, just in time for them to hear a sudden shift of their topic.

"Then Liana-chan's father was Lenalee-sempai's fiancé?"

"That's what I heard. It was like, her fiancé got her pregnant then suddenly went away to do something. She was promised that they will get married once he returns but obviously, that didn't happen."

"And it's been six years…"

There was silence for a few seconds after that, before the newcomer leaned towards the other exorcist as if she was about to say something serious and didn't want others to find out.

"Sempai, do you think…Lenalee-sempai and Liana-chan were…abandoned?"

Unfortunately, the two hiding exorcists heard and they were not particularly happy about it.

Lavi anxiously looked at Lenalee in concern, as if asking if she was alright. He whispered a, "I'm so going to stop them now!" to her but the woman shook her head and told him that it's ok, that the gossiping females didn't know the whole story anyway and it's understandable if they had thoughts like that. She pulled his sleeve to tell him that she'd rather get out of there when their ears perked to the continuation of the gossip.

"Abandoned? Actually, that's what I've been thinking too. I mean, come on! It's been six years! Who in their right mind would make their fiancée wait that long?"

"You're right sempai! And to think Lenalee-sempai was even pregnant that time…I feel sorry for her, especially for Liana-chan…"

"Yeah. The poor kid had to grow up without a father just because the damned man ran away from the responsibility."

"But honestly, I think Lenalee-sempai should stop waiting for a man like that –

"Ok that's enough!"

The two girls gasped and turned in alarm to see an obviously annoyed Lavi standing a few feet away from them.

"L-Lavi-sempai…"

"I heard everything so don't bother to ask." Lavi remarked in a serious tone, his lips curved in a frown.

"W-We didn't know that you were there…"

"Yeah well, even if I'm here or not, it's not right for you people to talk about something as private as that behind other people's backs. You don't even know the whole story but you kept on saying accusations."

The two female exorcists looked at each other then looked down in shame. "We're very sorry…"

Lavi sighed. "Don't apologize to me…"

He suddenly turned to his side and gently pulled his companion who was still hiding around the corner and was listening silently. The other females were surprised and gave a loud gasp upon seeing the topic of their conversation there.

"Apologize to her."

Lenalee frowned then elbowed Lavi on the side saying a low, "There's no need!" to him. Her male friend only gave her a shrug and gestured that she face the other exorcists who were already pale and speechless.

She sighed then finally turned towards the two girls, her face passive of any emotion. At the lack of reaction, a deeper blush invaded the girls' cheeks as they bowed their heads lower in further shame, never expecting that their little gossip would be heard by none other than Lenalee herself.

When about five seconds of silence had already passed, the older of the two girls finally had enough and bowed to Lenalee with her upper body.

"I'm very sorry Lenalee-sempai! I shouldn't have told Millie unnecessary things…"

Seeing that her senior already took action, the newcomer mimicked what she had done then bowed too, her face redder than her sempai.

"It's my fault too! I shouldn't have pressed on the topic! I'm…I'm so sorry Lenalee-sempai…"

Silence…

Lavi was beginning to be tensed when his female friend refused to say anything after the apology of the two other females. He was about to call her attention when Lenalee released a deep breath, as if she had calmed herself.

"I hope you learned a lesson from this." She stated with a clear voice. Then with a small smile on her lips,

"Apology accepted."

With her answer, the two girls looked up to her in gratefulness and thanked her multiple times before Lenalee told them that it's ok already and they should be going on their way now. When the two girls finally left, she sighed again and shook her head. She faced Lavi with an uneasy smile.

"Wow…I didn't know the newcomers are thinking me and Liana were abandoned. Are we that pitiful to look at?"

The red head didn't answer for a moment. He slouched his shoulders then leaned his back on the wall beside them, his arms crossed on his chest.

"I was surprised too. But just like you said, they can't help it since they have no idea who Liana's father is."

He suddenly smirked when he remembered something.

"Come to think of it, I heard some teenaged newcomers and seniors talking about some of the mysteries in the Order."

Lenalee raised an eyebrow. "What's that got to do with this?"

"Well, for your information…" Lavi responded with a wider smirk. "…Liana's father is one of the top five mysteries."

"Seriously?" the Chinese sputtered with a half surprised half amused expression. Lavi grinned.

"So you really don't know. They were guessing the identity of _'The-lucky-guy-who-got-the-beautiful-Lenalee-dono-in-bed'_. They say you might be in an affair with a civilian, or an actor, and other kinds of people you wouldn't even think about."

He suddenly chuckled. "Hell, I was even in their list! Not to mention Kanda, Crowley and even Johnny!"

Silence…

Lenalee suddenly broke into laughter. She quickly leaned to the wall beside Lavi. It was the only thing she could do before she could sit on the floor and laugh her head off. She shook her head to stop herself from laughing then looked up to the red head – who was also laughing with her.

"I didn't imagine my life would be like show business! I should track the people who started those ridiculous notions. I mean, I can't let you people be bothered with it!"

"Well, I'm not really bothered with it." The red head replied with another playful grin.

"I don't mind being Liana-chan's father in their imaginations! Being _'The-lucky-guy-who-got-the-beautiful-Lenalee-dono-in-bed'_ isn't so bad!"

"Oh Lavi, stop it!" the Chinese remarked after a chuckle. "What would the real '_lucky-guy-who-got-me-in-bed'_ think if he heard you?"

Lavi pretended to shudder. "I'll definitely find myself sliced into pieces if that happens, add the fact that your brother would patch me up then kill me again! Don't worry, that's not how I imagined my last moments."

Lenalee shook her head then took a deep breath to calm herself from laughing, allowing the humorous aura around them to subside. There was silence again after that and she took it as an opportunity to seriously think of her current situation with her personal and social life. If she had to be honest, she was embarrassed when she heard the two female exorcists talking about how she and her daughter where abandoned. Well, who wouldn't be? In an outsider's perspective, it was like she was an idiot who didn't stop waiting for someone who hadn't returned for half a decade. With a situation like that, of course they would be thinking that she and Liana were a pitiful mother and daughter tandem who were forgotten by her supposed-to-be husband. Add the fact that she and the people who knew were not allowed to speak about Allen, so even if she wanted to clear up everything once and for all, she can't tell them that Liana's father was the famed "Great General" who defeated the Earl of Millennium from the first war.

And even if she hated it, she had almost given up. In one of her depressed moments, she thought she really was abandoned…that Allen would never return, and she had to move on with her life without him.

"Don't worry about it Lenalee."

Lavi suddenly stated when he saw the change of her expression.

"Six years had passed. It's been painful but you hadn't given up. Just continue to believe in _him_…"

He turned to her with a smile.

"…And wait for Liana-chan to bring him back to you. So you don't need to waste your time thinking about other people's opinions."

She stared up at her friend for a few moments then nodded as she bowed her head down and wiped the tears that were unconsciously formed at the corner of her violet eyes. She thanked him and looked up again.

"Sometimes I wished I could boast _him_ to everyone." She said in a soft voice. "I wish I could tell them how amazing my fiancé is, that he's actually the mysterious hero we've been telling the newcomers about. But I guess it will be a long time before I could do that."

She paused then pouted in annoyance. "It's the Central's fault. They say his case is top-secret and it's dangerous to talk about him. It's really annoying how they could even think of him that way."

Lavi frowned in agreement then made sure no one was around to hear what he would say next.

"I've been thinking about it, I think it's about the 14th. They're not sure if _he_ is able to control that other side of him. If he is to wake up under the 14th's influence, you and Liana will definitely be his targets. If that happens, having the new batch unaware of his true connection with the Order will make things easier. Since they don't know anything about his role here, they will automatically think that he is an enemy. They won't think twice to kill him. And that includes your daughter."

He glanced at the woman beside him.

"You know it right?" his eyes narrowed.

"That the Central is grooming Liana-chan to be a worthy opponent for him…just in case the 14th took over."

Lenalee prevented herself to scowl.

"That's the reason why I'm so against about Liana being an exorcist before."

"And that's why they specifically instructed us not to tell her anything about her father. So that she won't hold back if she was to fight him as enemies." Lavi shook his head in exasperation.

"Damn those Central guys. I still can't believe they'd actually thought something as dark as that!"

The female nodded. "It's a good thing Officer Lucille and Officer Gerald are the ones assigned to monitor my daughter's growth. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't know about it."

A pause.

"But really, why didn't you tell Liana-chan about him?"

Lavi suddenly asked in seriousness as he and the Chinese looked at each other. He saw how she tensed up at his question and how her eyes quickly diverted away from his face, as if she was avoiding answering him.

"I've never asked you this, but I feel I need to ask now." The red head started.

"I know we're ordered not to, but if you tell her about him, the worst case scenario will definitely not happen. Even if she had to fight him, she will never kill her father. Instead, she will do everything she can to bring him back to his senses."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "So why not tell her?"

She didn't answer for at least a quarter minute after Lavi spoke his question. She was unsure if she had to tell him about her reasons, if it really did matter. But as she looked at his unrelenting stare at her, and how concerned he was about her and Liana, she had slowly given up inwardly refusing and finally opened her mouth to speak.

"It's not that I don't like to tell her." She began. "It's more like I'm _afraid_ to tell her."

"How will she react? Will she be angry at her father? Will she refuse to love him? Those questions kept on popping in my mind every time she asks about him. You wouldn't understand how terrifying it is for me to tell her that her father's not really away. That he…he might be a different person when he wakes up. She even said that she'll bring him back…but what if she doesn't want to after I tell her? What if she'd rather have him sleep forever? I'm scared of that Lavi. I don't want to destroy her innocent desire to see her father. You wouldn't understand how scared I am."

Lavi stared at her face as he digested every word she said. She's right. He can't understand why she was afraid to tell Liana about her own father. Maybe it was because of the fact that she was already a mother, and he wouldn't understand the extent of a mother's feelings towards her child. He respected that. But that didn't mean that he didn't have a point. He wanted Lenalee to consider what he's saying. After all, it was also for the little girl they all adored.

"I still think you have to tell her." He carefully stated in seriousness.

"Especially now that she'll be training soon. Knowing about the truth will help her do what's right. It will also prevent a more painful encounter. She'll be more hurt if she found out later on…when she's face to face with him."

He got silence for an answer but he can see from his friend's eyes that she was thinking about it. He had done his part and all that remained was her decision.

"Think about it Lenalee."

At that, he quietly left her there to let her think more to herself.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Wow, you really look beaten up Kiri-kun!"

Kiri frowned then grabbed the towel that was held to him by Liana who had been watching his training ever since she returned there two hours ago. He roughly wiped the sweat and dirt from his face, ignoring the slight pain that came from the scratches in his face.

"Shut up. It's part of the training."

He noticed a foreign shadow in front of him so he looked up to see Kanda staring down at him with analytical eyes. The boy gulped and placed the towel at his side.

"Y-Yes master?"

Liana cautiously looked at the Japanese swordsman before glancing at her new friend in concern. She saw how rigorous Kiri's training had been. Kanda was really rough and didn't show an ounce of mercy for the little boy even if it was his first time, which explained the slight fright that came within Kiri's eyes whenever he had eye contact with his master.

Kanda saw this too and even if he'd rather die than admit it, he didn't want his apprentice to be scared of him. It's not only because it would make the kid's training harder, but it would also cause a rift between their relationship as master and student. He didn't want that kind of troublesome problem to solve later on.

"I want you to do the physical exercises that I told you starting tomorrow. Even if you're just a kid, you have to greatly strengthen your body in order to handle that innocence of yours." Kanda spoke in a stern voice. He ignored Liana's frown at him.

Kiri nodded slowly. "Yes master."

"Practice activating your innocence also. I don't want to be wasting my time repeating the steps to you."

"Yes master."

"There will be no more unnecessary breaks between training. The only time you'll get to rest will be lunch and when I'll dismiss you."

"Yes master."

"You'll have to do meditation everyday too. We'll do that tomorrow."

"Yes master."

The Japanese paused then took his time to look at his apprentice. The fright was still there but it was overpowered by the determination sparking in his orbs. Seeing that, he felt he didn't need to tell him more so he cleared his throat and looked away with his lips frowned in annoyance.

"Kiri."

"Master?"

"You did well."

And with that, Kanda quickly turned around and took a few steps away from them with the intention to leave the training grounds. There were a couple of seconds of silence after that as the two kids stared at the man's back in surprise, clearly not expecting for him to say something like that. Overwhelmed that he got the cold General Kanda to compliment him, Kiri suddenly stood and bowed.

"Thank you master!"

They saw how Kanda paused for a moment then continued on his way.

"Liana hasn't eaten anything yet. Go accompany her now or I'll double your training hours!"

He shouted then finally exited the grounds, leaving a now disbelieved Kiri and a giggling Liana at the side. She stood up then pulled his arm, breaking him from his trance.

"Come now Kiri-kun! I bet you're also hungry!"

Since the two children were really hungry after the training, they arrived at the canteen in no time and were soon ordering food from Jerry. Kiri had long finished ordering and was already holding his tray of simple fried chicken and cream of mushroom soup by his hands. He would love to go sit down and eat his meal now but his companion pleaded that he wait for her, so he had no choice but to wait for her to get her meal.

"Any more to add Liana-chan?"

"Oh! You still have that chocolate cake from yesterday right, Jerry-jiichan? I'll love that!"

"Alright! Is that all?"

"Umm…can you also add 2 orders of mitarashi dango? Wait, make it 3!"

"Ok, ok! Is that final already?"

"Please make sure my cheeseburger's super sized jii-chan! I'm _really_ hungry after all!"

"Leave it to me! Any more to add?"

"Nope! Thank you very much!"

By now, Kiri's body was already slightly trembling with his face in a half confused, half what-the-heck? expression. The girl practically took about 10 minutes in ordering, with either changing or adding something in her food. He was also amazed that the other people in line only managed a sweatdrop on their foreheads while they waited for the girl to finish.

And alas! Jerry finally handed Liana's tray to her as the two exchanged wide grins. Upon seeing the tray though, Kiri suddenly froze then his brows twitched, his WTF expression intensifying.

"L-Liana…"

The girl turned to him with a sparkly face. "Kiri-kun?"

"…A-Are you sure you can finish that…that…your food?"

"Of course Kiri-kun! I never leave anything on my plate when I'm eating!"

"…If you say so…"

Then Liana went on her way towards their table. Kiri remained standing there, still in an amazed state as if he can't believe what he just saw and heard. Some teenaged passersby's saw him then shook their heads in light pity. They ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry kid. You'll get used to it."

He looked up to his seniors.

"Is she really going to eat that, sempai? I mean, her meal's good for 3 persons!"

"Well, Liana-chan's a parasitic type so it's understandable. She needed more than enough energy so that her body can sustain that innocence."

The seniors released a sigh.

"Don't be surprised just yet. That's only her snack."

"W-What?"

"Go along now kid. Don't make the girl wait."

Sure enough, Liana's already calling out for him while the two exorcists left him with teasing grins. Kiri ignored them then finally walked towards where Liana was. It was a table located at the right center of the cafeteria. Other people were already eating at the other end of the table.

"Excuse me." Kiri greeted as he sat in front of Liana. The three other exorcists gave him a kind grin then continued with their meals.

"So Kiri-kun…" the little girl suddenly muttered after she swallowed a big bite of her super-sized cheeseburger. "…what can you say about Kanda-ji? Are you afraid of him?"

Kiri whispered a low "Itadakimasu!" before spooning his soup. He frowned at Liana's questions.

"I'm not afraid of master. He's just…very intimidating."

A giggle. "That's Kanda-ji for you! He doesn't smile, but he's _really_ a good person!"

The boy only sighed then continued with his meal. He would occasionally watch in awe as Liana finished the super-sized cheeseburger, the foot long hotdog sandwich, the spaghetti, the chocolate cake, and the mitarashi dango with ease. He guessed the seniors he spoke with earlier were not joking when they said it was only her snack. Liana noticed his stare then suddenly blushed as she put down the dango on her plate.

"U-Umm…sorry if I ate too fast…and if I surprised you with my food…"

Kiri sweatdropped. "I-It's ok. I guess you just love to eat..."

The girl nodded before biting her dango. "You're right! Eating is one of the things I like best!"

"Really? Then how come you're not fat? How can you stay slim with that amount of food?"

"Hmm…mommy said it's b'cause my innocence takes up the energy I get from the food so I won't get fat."

"Oh." He briefly glanced at her clothed chest. "So that's how a parasitic type is…"

"Want some dango Kiri-kun?"

"No thanks. I'm full."

As Liana happily ate the mitarashi, he fell silent and arranged the utensils on his tray. He let his ears listen to the noises around the cafeteria when he suddenly picked up a rather interesting conversation from the exorcists who sat with them on the table.

"You think a criminal's in there?"

"No way. Why would they keep a criminal there? I bet it's an akuma experiment!"

"If it's an akuma experiment then they should be doing that in the Science Dept."

"Maybe it's just plain haunted."

By now, Liana also picked up their conversation so she and Kiri were already both listening to the 3 exorcists. One of them saw their interested faces and signaled his two companions to look at the kids. They glanced at Kiri and Liana then suddenly grinned afterwards.

"You want to know kids?" the male exorcists offered with the mischievous intention of scaring the kids off.

There was a pause before the children slowly nodded with a gulp. Seeing that, the seniors grinned more then leaned to them as if what they're about to tell was a very grave secret.

"You kids might not know but in this headquarters, there's a very _bizarre_ place…"

Liana raised her brows. "Bizarre?"

"Yeah. _Bizarre_…"

The three seniors looked at each other then gave them a serious stare.

"At the Southwest building, 6th floor, there's a hallway that leads to a floor not seen in the blue prints after the renovation. You can get there by taking the elevator up to the 5th floor then walk through some staircases and hallways. Some exorcists tried to go there to investigate and they said it was completely empty and not renovated. The only thing there is a single door."

"A door?" the two kids chorused. Their sempais nodded.

"Yes, a door. Of course the exorcists tried to open it to see what's inside…"

"What did they see?"

There was a pregnant pause, then with a somewhat dramatic expression,

"They didn't see anything. The moment they twisted the doorknob, they suddenly saw themselves in front of the elevator. They tried a few times but every time they tried to open the door, they always ended up in front of the elevator…as if forcing them to get out of there right away."

"R-Really?"

"Yes! And that's not all. They tried destroying the door too, but it remained unscathed. Whatever they did, it remained there and they always end up in the elevator!"

After the explanation of the story, the children continued to stare at the senior exorcists as if analyzing if what they said was true. The adults noticed this then sighed, one of them shaking his head as if what they did was all just a waste.

"You don't believe us, do you?"

Kiri and Liana looked at each other, then narrowed their small eyes at them.

"No."

"Thought so." One of the exorcists muttered in disappointment. "But we swear to you kids, that story is true! It's been circling around for some time now after the renovation and other groups tried going there but it always ended the same."

Kiri still refused to believe though.

"So sempai already went there?"

At the question, the three adults grinned again at them.

"Nope. But we'll go there tonight."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Do you think they're planning something big?"

"I think so. That Noah wouldn't waste his time talking to us if there's no purpose."

"So that corpse you brought…"

"I'm afraid that's a warning for us, Komui-san. That Noah did say _that_."

"We gave you 6 years but you exorcists still hadn't changed. How boring." Komui muttered with distress. "That's what the Noah told you right?"

He stared at the two exorcists in front of him, Kanda and Miranda, who were currently there to make further reports about their latest mission.

"Aa." Kanda replied with an irritated frown.

Komui nodded then massaged his aching temples in fatigue. For the past few months, the number of exorcist deaths had been increasing drastically, and almost all of them were the seniors they had trained for years. Even if they convinced themselves that it was only coincidence that the deaths were increasing, they already had a strong feeling that their enemy's planning something behind those deaths. Whatever it was, they had to find out soon.

"Komui."

The Chinese looked up at the ever serious voice of Kanda.

"Yes?"

"I think Edea's eliminating all the experienced exorcists." Kanda started as he crossed his arms.

"We only have 40% of experienced exorcists and half of them are already dead while the newcomers continue to increase. She's planning to leave us with only amateurs."

The supervisor stared at Kanda as if he had just been awakened from a trance. At the realization of what the General meant though, he laced his fingers in front of him with his brows furrowed deeply.

"Then we're in a very grave situation now. Edea's definitely planning something big."

He shook his head then leaned on his chair.

"I think we need to call back the other Generals. Kanda, you know where General Tiedoll is right?"

Kanda frowned further. "Tch. He had tons of addresses but I don't know exactly where he is."

"Then we'll just have to check all of them. Miranda,"

"Komui-san?"

"Help me and Reever find out information on the whereabouts of Generals Cross Marian and Cloud Nyne."

"Understood."

"Alright. Then this meeting is dismissed."

But before Kanda and Miranda can leave, the door to Komui's office suddenly opened and in came Lenalee who looked as serious as the Japanese exorcist.

"Brother, I need to talk to you." She stated.

Sensing the seriousness from the Chinese woman's voice, Miranda and Kanda walked towards the door to let the siblings talk privately. However Lenalee held Miranda's hand to stop her.

"Miranda, Kanda, please stay. I need you here too."

What she said made the two other exorcists confused but they didn't ask anything yet. Kanda went to lean on a nearby wall while Miranda stood beside her best friend, waiting for her to say something.

"What is it Lenalee?" Komui finally asked with a smile. His sister remained serious.

Then without warning,

"Do you think I should tell Liana-chan about Allen now?"

Silence…

The three other people jerked their heads at Lenalee in surprise. Out of all the things to be talked about, they didn't expect that particular topic to be brought up by her. Ever since the Central forbade them to speak of Allen Walker, Lenalee hadn't talk about telling Liana at all. They thought she was just respecting what the Administration wanted and would probably tell her daughter when Allen wakes up.

But what made her ask that now?

Lenalee saw the questions from the eyes of her closest friends and family so she decided to relate what she and Lavi had discussed, of the things that made her consider telling her daughter. After her explanation, Kanda, Miranda and Komui were having mixed reactions.

"That stupid usagi!" the Japanese scowled. "Acting as if he knew everything…I'll teach him a lesson later."

Lenalee shook her head at him. "It's alright Kanda. Lavi had a very big point there when he told me. But I'm still not sure, that's why I need your opinions. After all, Liana's important to you guys too."

She sighed and looked at them worriedly.

"You know about the Central's plan right? About what they plan to do with Liana?"

Their silence answered her question so she continued what she was saying.

"And of course, I don't want that to happen even if that's only a precautionary measure. But Liana's only 6 years old! She's still a child! She might not understand about her father and her situation…"

She looked at them in slight plead.

"What should I do?"

The supervisor, the General and the best friend stared at the Chinese woman in both pity and speechlessness. Having faced with such a question, they also didn't know what to say to comfort Lenalee. When they thought about it, Lavi did have a point about telling the little girl about her father. But the question was, was it the right time to tell her? Or did they have to wait for a few years until she's old enough to understand? And that's only assuming if they decided to tell her. What if the best decision was to not tell her at all?

"Lenalee."

They all stopped their thoughts when Kanda suddenly broke the silence and called Lenalee's name. The Chinese woman looked at her male friend expectedly, waiting for whatever he had to say.

Kanda saw the expectant look Lenalee's been giving him so he became hesitant to tell her what he thought. But he quickly shook off his doubt. What he was about to say was what he thought was right.

"You should be the one to decide." He stated in a clear voice. "You're Liana's mother. You're the one who knows her best."

And that's when Komui and Miranda felt relieved. They've been thinking about the same thing after all.

"Kanda-kun's right Lenalee." Miranda added as she took the younger female's hands in hers.

"Personally, I think you should tell Liana-chan. But that's only me. I don't know everything about her, and how she views Allen-kun even if she doesn't know him. Only someone like you, her mother, can decide what's best for her."

Komui nodded at Miranda's statement. He gave his sister a sincere smile.

"It's the same for me Lenalee. Whether you decide to tell her or not, there will always be a good and bad effect. You cannot escape hurting her either way. What's important is you consider what your daughter's feelings are. If you do that, I'm sure you'll make the right choice."

The other two exorcists nodded.

"We know you can do it."

Lenalee looked at her friends one at a time, as if further asking if that's what they really thought about. And when she finally digested every word they told her, she slowly nodded back with relief. What they told her was right. They may have their own opinions, but the real decision remained with her. She can't just leave everything with her friends.

"Thank you everyone." She responded with a smile.

"I'll think really hard about it."

After the conversation that took place in her brother's office, Lenalee excused herself and went straight to the private training grounds. The newcomers who saw her greeted her warily since her expression showed tension and seriousness. She did greet back though and immediately kicked a dummy doll off from its foundation. She continued to kick and destroy the dummy enemies the program of the training grounds had been producing, but her mind was somewhere else. Her body might be moving as if she was concentrated on training but the truth was her thoughts were focused on the matter related to her daughter. It might also be a way for her to release some pent up frustrations and other emotions she had been holding in for a long time. Maybe she should have considered telling her daughter earlier after all.

It was already sunset when she stopped. She sighed when she realized all she did was to release her stress so she ended up deciding nothing regarding Liana-chan. How can she be so irresponsible?

"Oh my…" she muttered in new distress as she stared at the destroyed dolls on the floor.

'_What should I do…Allen?'_

It took a few seconds for her to suddenly stand up as if an idea formed inside her head. Her lips formed into a small smile for a moment then changed into a thin line in seriousness. Maybe _that_ was what she should do.

After exiting the private training grounds, Lenalee went straight to the cafeteria where she knew her daughter would be. True enough, Liana was already there eating plates and plates of dinner with Kiri, Lavi and Miranda chatting by her side. She casually made her way towards her friends after ordering her food and sat herself beside Miranda, just across her daughter.

"Mommy!" Liana greeted with a grin, a few food crumbs around her mouth.

Lenalee smiled as she reached out with a napkin to wipe the crumbs off her daughter's mouth.

"Did you behave well during Kiri-kun's training?"

"Of course! I didn't trouble Kanda-jii or Kiri-kun!"

"That's good."

As she started to eat the paella she ordered, she felt a gentle tap on her side. She took a bite from her food first before turning to face the other woman who looked at her with concern. Lenalee sighed then put down her fork on her plate. She quickly chewed the food then swallowed it as she made sure her other companions wouldn't care what they were talking about. Lavi was teasing Kiri while Liana was busy eating her food. She inwardly sighed in relief before whispering.

"Is it about Liana-chan?"

Miranda gave her a slight nod. "Have you decided yet? My boys told me you were at the training grounds earlier."

Lenalee thought for a moment. She was indeed seen by Miranda's trainees.

An uneasy smile. "Well, I wanted to release some stress. Thought it would help me decide."

"But you hadn't decided yet, haven't you?"

"You guessed it." The Chinese answered with a helpless shrug. "But don't worry. I know I'll get to a decision soon. I'll just have to talk to someone first."

Her friend blinked in slight confusion. "Who?"

Lenalee stared into her friend's eyes, as if passing a secret message. At first, Miranda was totally clueless to what the other female was trying to tell her. But when she saw the warm glimmer in Lenalee's eyes, she understood and gave her approval with a nod.

"You should." She muttered with a smile. "Maybe you'll get a direct answer."

With that, they chuckled and continued eating their food.

-/-/-

-/-/-

That night…

"Mommy, can I sleep here again?"

Lenalee looked down at her adorable daughter who was looking up at her with puppy dog eyes. She sweatdropped then leaned down to pick her daughter up on her shoulders. She gasped a little.

"Of course sweetie. Whew, you've become heavier…"

"That's because I'm 6 already kaa-san! You don't have to carry me…"

"Nah. I'm alright." Lenalee replied with a grin. "I missed doing this."

As she led Liana to her bed, she vaguely remembered the time she first carried her daughter on her shoulders. Liana was three years old back then and the two of them were watching those late night cartoons in her room. The cartoon was about a family picnic in a park, and the little girl in the family was being carried by her father on the shoulder. She was amused with the irritated expression the pet rabbit was giving so she turned to tell Liana about it. She was surprised though when she saw the sad glimmer in her daughter's eyes so she asked what's troubling her.

She found out Liana wanted to experience being carried on the shoulder, since the girl in the cartoon seemed to be having so much fun. To ease her daughter's jealousy, she volunteered and tried carrying her on the shoulders. They both fell on the bed when she tried.

Of course, she didn't give up and within a day, she was finally able to carry her little girl. She will never forget the laughter and the smiles that day.

"Oooff."

She carefully sat on the bed and let Liana pull apart from her to sit on her side. It was then the mother felt the slight pain from her shoulders that came after being relieved from the weight. She then fully realized that her daughter wasn't the 3 year old clueless and light-weighted child anymore. Liana's now 6 and soon to be a full-pledged exorcist.

Given her last train of thought, she remembered the current issue she was supposed to solve before anything else. She just hoped she could get a clue on what to do. A sign maybe, from _him,_ since he basically had half the responsibility.

"Mommy! You've been staring out for about a minute!" Liana suddenly interrupted with a laugh. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine honey."

Lenalee replied when she was taken out of her trance from the little girl's voice. She smiled then gestured her daughter to lie down and sleep since it's already late in the night. She too closed her eyes to rest.

About 10 minutes after 2:00 am, Lenalee opened her eyes and carefully turned to her sleeping daughter. She watched the child's face for a minute to ensure she was really asleep. When she was convinced, she cautiously got out from the bed and went to her closet. She took out her exorcist uniform from there and quickly wore it without much sound as possible. When she was ready, she went to the door and silently got out of her room.

What she failed to notice though, were the young silver eyes that stared at the door a few seconds after she left.

Liana slowly sat on the bed with a half sleepy, half quizzical look. She wasn't really having deep sleeps in the past few nights so she was easily awoken with shuffles and other unusual sounds from her surroundings. So it's no surprise that she was awoken from the suspicious noises from the room. What surprised her though was to see her mother getting out of the room, wearing her exorcist uniform.

Now that was an unusual sight. Her mother did leave the room in the middle of the night a few times before, but only because she was going to the bathroom, and not wearing a battle gear. So what did it imply?

Even with her six-year-old mind, it was already easy enough for her to deduce that something wasn't right. There's got to be some important things going on outside, or something serious that happened. And whatever that was, she won't let her mother keep it all to herself.

"_Don't go snooping into adults' business ok? You're too young for that."_

Thus quoted her mother. She wasn't a disobedient child, but she's not that obedient either. The curiosity building up in her was too big for her to ignore, especially since it was her own mother who was the center of it. Her mother might scold her when she found out, but she would only do it out of concern for her. Maybe that "something" was actually dangerous.

Besides, she's a very-soon-to-be exorcist. It wouldn't hurt to see what an exorcist does, wasn't it?

Shaking herself to alertness, Liana finally stood from the bed and also went out of the room. Using the basic stealth techniques her Lavi-ji taught her during his free time, she silently walked through the hallways, trying her best to observe every nook and cranny of the dark headquarters. Then at the next floor from the dormitories, she saw the figure of her mother. She followed without hesitation.

As she followed her mother, Liana took note of the details from the current environment. They're going towards the southwest building, and her mother kept walking through different staircases to the upper levels until the 6th floor. She wondered at that. What's her mother doing at the most secluded area of the headquarters?

'_Maybe they're having a secret meeting or something…' _she thought in both nervousness and excitement. She might really be scolded if that's the case, but at least she can prove to them that she can follow anyone stealthily, even her own mother.

At the sudden pause of her mother though, she suddenly became tensed and quickly hid at the corner of the hallway. She turned her head and nervously watched her okaa-san's standing figure. Was she found out already?

Then her mother ducked to the other end of the hallway. That's when she heard voices coming from the room after it. A few seconds passed with them hiding until Lenalee decided to slowly walk towards the room, just a few steps for her to be able to see who the intruders were.

Of course Liana followed, still in stealth. She only took a few steps ahead, just enough to see and hear who the intruders were and to ensure that her mother won't feel there's someone following her. It was a good idea since Lenalee seemed to be still unaware of her presence.

"This is it guys. This is the famous southwest room."

"Are you sure we can get inside just from using the stairs? I bet we'll end up in the elevator just like the others."

"Look, if you're scared, just leave. We don't need a coward."

"I'm not scared! I'm just stating the facts!"

"You two, stop it."

Liana raised her brows when she recognized the three males. They were the sempais who tried to scare them with a mystery story during lunch. What were they doing there?

Her eyes widened when she remembered. So they were really serious about that floor? Come to think of it, she went through different kinds of passageways that she's not sure where she really was.

"_At the Southwest building, 6th floor, there's a hallway that leads to a floor not seen in the blue prints after the renovation. You can get there by taking the elevator up to the 5th floor then walk through some staircases and hallways. Some exorcists tried to go there to investigate and they said it was completely empty and not renovated. The only thing there is a single door."_

The three males started walking so she anticipated what they would do. She can't see her mother clearly from where she was so she concentrated on watching her sempais. They went towards an old door at the very end of a big empty room. There were movements and talks then the activation of the innocence. The three took turns in attacking the door but none of them managed to land further damage on the wood. Then suddenly, the space around them was distorted and they were gone.

She almost gasped in surprise but she stopped herself by tightly covering her mouth with her hand. She didn't move for about a minute until she saw her mother step out from her hiding place. She saw the woman sigh in relief then walked towards the lone door, causing her eyes to widen again. So her mother was also after the door?

Her heart thumped hard in her chest as she watched her mother approach it. But instead of activating her innocence like what the other three exorcists did, Lenalee placed her hand on a large crack on the wooden door. Suddenly, there was the distorted space again and Liana thought her mother would disappear too. But to her shock,

"Identity confirmed. Access granted. Deactivating illusionary space dimension."

There was suddenly a female robotic voice coming from the doorknob. The distortion of space was there again, only to reveal an iron door in place of the wooden one. The knob was blinking red for three times then it became green. There was a click and the door opened automatically. Lenalee didn't waste a second and went inside, closing the door, and activating the mirage again.

For a full minute, Liana just stood.

She finally let herself gasp at what she witnessed. What was that? Her mother actually just entered the horror door that supposedly no one was able to get into!

Tears started to form on her eyes. She didn't know if she was supposed to be scared of her mother or praise her for achieving something no one could. She wiped her tears with her little fingers as she calmed herself and tried to recall what the door announced before letting her okaa-san in. It also seemed her mother's been in there for a few times.

The curiosity got the better of her again so she summoned her courage and went in front of the door. She would try to get inside too. But if she found herself in front of the elevator like what the others experienced, then no harm done. She'll just have to try next time.

"Here goes nothing…"

With a gulp, she tiptoed and placed her little hand on a part of the crack. There wasn't any reaction for a moment until there was some sort of vibration. Then,

"Identity analysis complete. Relation to subject: daughter. Initializing exemption."

There was the vibration again then the knob started blinking.

"Access granted. Deactivating illusionary space dimension."

Three red blinks. One green. Then the iron door was opened. Liana can't believe what just happened. She was granted permission to enter! How did that happen?

And what the door announced…it said it confirmed her relation to the "subject" as a daughter. Did that mean her mother was actually the owner of whatever the controversial door was hiding?

There's only one way to find out. Her feet were slightly trembling but she summoned her courage again then went inside. The door suddenly closed and she was left with darkness. She squinted her eyes to adjust her eyesight until there was a blink and a dim light on the wall was activated. What she saw was yet another hallway, albeit a shorter one. She walked quietly through it to try to hide her presence, since she had a feeling her mother already knew there was someone else who managed to enter the room.

As she thought of excuses to tell, she heard the voice of her mother so she stopped and realized that she was already in front of a normal door. It was opened slightly and she can see a bit through it from the small gap. At the moment, she can only see the back of her mother.

She figured she should just go and announce her presence rather than try to hide further so she carefully gripped the doorknob. She was about to push it in when,

"It's been a month since I last went here. Liana's birthday was yesterday."

Liana froze when she heard her name being mentioned.

"Our daughter just turned six, Allen."

Her hand dropped to her side, adding unexpected force to the knob thus pushing it in a slow yet creaky way. Lenalee whipped her head towards her direction in surprise, eyes wide and lips half parted.

Silence…

"L-Liana-chan?"

The mother and daughter stared at each other in shock. The only thing that's breaking the silence was the beeping of a machine inside the room.

"M-Mommy…" Liana spoke in a soft yet nervous voice. All other thoughts inside her head were quickly dismissed as she gulped and never diverted her eyes from her mother's.

Lenalee dreaded her daughter's question.

"Is…Is daddy here?"

* * *

**AN: **As promised, I updated much MUCH sooner than before. XD

Anyway, I thank all of you for your reviews last chapter. It relieves me that you haven't forgotten about this story of mine…and you still liked it enough to anticipate what will happen next…-sniff sniff-

And so, I shall be individually thanking you!

**The 14th Musician **– Thanks! And don't worry, Allen will definitely come back…but I'm not gonna tell when…XD

**glon morski **– ahaha, I knew you won't like the cutting-the-chapter-into-half that I did. Honestly, I don't really have any plans of doing it. But then, after re-reading the full chapter 21, I had a headache and my eyes were teary and painful. I thought it was because it was toooo long so there! XD Anyway, I'm glad you liked the simulation part and Liana's clueless approach about her father. Those were actually my favorite parts too!^^

**addenza** – I'm happy you appreciate the recap part, since I anticipated you guys won't remember what happened in the last chaps^^ and hmm…I was often told by my friends that I update whenever they're thinking about this fic…maybe you should think more about this for faster updates? Lolz XD

**Coralian Exorcist** – I'm really sorry I took this long…XD and thank you for thinking this fic is good. And yes, I'm keeping my promise about the faster updates.^^

**zutarababe **- lolz, just sit back and relax while waiting for Allen…he'll pop out anytime soon…XD

**Ashka-chan** – thank you for correcting me about the Japanese formalities! Honestly, I don't really know much about those things so I really appreciate your effort of telling me the differences!^^

**ShaeraHaek** – right! You're awesome too! Thanks!^^

**dark-Yuuki-sama** – and here is the promised next chapter! Thank you very much!^^

**Chocolate and caramel** – ahahaha, don't scold Kiri too much…XD and about Liana's innocence…I'm still thinking about it…XD thanks by the way!^^

**yukihane** – sorry about the cliffies!...I'm really fond of them so I ended up having cliffhangers in almost every chapter…XD and since you're always wondering, my current plot doesn't involve another time skip so you'll just have to wait and see!^^

**UNTensaZangetsu** – the Allen in the simulation was when he had Crown Clown. Thank you!^^

**Ancestor's Dragon **– (grins) I also think that Kiri's innocence is pretty cool…although the idea came from the Final Fantasy games…and thank you for reviewing!^^

**Prettyful-Elfy **– yes, I will update faster! Thanks!^^

**kUpO. LUvs-Or4nG3e **– Allen will come back soon! You'll just have to wait!...XD thanks a bunch!

**M. Cutie**– thank you for reviewing the previous chapter! About Liana's name…yup, you're right. It's because most of the Order didn't know about Allen. If Liana takes Allen's surname, it will raise questions.

And for the others who took the effort to read, THANK YOU! Again, you can expect the next update by next week. See you soon! XD


	23. The Choice

Standard Disclaimer Applied.

* * *

She did hear her daughter ask if her daddy was there inside the room. But as much as Lenalee wanted to answer the question right away, just to ease the shock and bewilderment evident on Liana's face, she herself didn't even know what to answer. Then the fact that her daughter was even there diverted her thoughts. What was Liana doing in a place that's supposed to be a secret? Was she followed?

The possibility surprised her. What was she doing being careless as to be followed by a child? If Liana was able to follow her, then the chances of others finding out would be a lot higher. That she can't allow. She had to get her daughter away from the room now.

"Liana." She called in a stern voice. She hoped it was enough to get the child's attention.

"You are not allowed here. Let's go out now before your uncle finds out."

Unfortunately, Liana was totally distracted and was peeking in the room as much as she can. Lenalee was surprised yet again. Her daughter had just ignored her!

"Liana." She repeated again, louder.

"I said –

"I heard what you said mommy."

The girl then looked up to face her mom, eyes pleading.

"But I don't want to go away. You're talking about daddy. Is he here?"

Lenalee gasped a little when her daughter repeated the question earlier. Then she found herself unable to speak again. What was she going to say? That her dad's inside yet cannot be seen? That her father's been cursed? How can she just tell it to a child? What was she supposed to say when she herself was still indecisive about even telling her?

Her silence was cut off when Liana suddenly froze from her position. The girl's eyes were wider than before and her little fists were curling around the cloth of her pajamas.

She was about to ask when her daughter walked passed her and ran towards the centerpiece of the room: a closed rectangular iron capsule with numerous wires coming from all of its corners towards a number of beeping machines around the room. The insignia of the Black Order was embossed at the upper center of the capsule.

Liana stared at the capsule with narrowed eyes. She had an odd feeling she had seen the capsule way before. But where? And what was the capsule's relationship with her mother?

Then a thought struck her. Tears slowly formed on her little eyes. What if…what if…

"Mommy…" she called while turning to face her silent mother. "Is he here?"

She placed a hand on the cold iron of the capsule.

"Is daddy inside this?"

Silence…

It was then that Lenalee knew what she had to do. As she stared at her daughter standing beside the capsule, her little hand on top of it, she suddenly felt she had come to a decision. She remembered telling Miranda that she wanted a sign from _him_, something that can give her an idea on what she should do. Maybe the current scenario was the sign. Maybe he was telling her to stop the secrets from their daughter and let her know about her father, that it was the right thing to do before Liana can start training as an exorcist. Add the fact that she can't take that pitiful sad look on her daughter's face. She can't bear to see her child being depressed like that.

Besides, she basically had no choice anymore. It was her fault that she was followed by her daughter, and Liana had heard her talk about her to Allen. Her daughter was a smart child, she definitely had an idea now. It's no use talking her out of it.

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to muster her courage and form the words she would be telling. When she's ready, she opened her eyes and parted her lips to speak.

"Yes Liana-chan. Daddy's inside there."

Silence.

No reaction came from the girl. About a minute after that, Liana choked and started sobbing. A few more sobs then it turned into crying. Her hands were instantly on her face, fingers rubbing her eyes to prevent more tears to flow.

Lenalee gasped. She expected an emotional reaction, but she didn't expect a cry as soon as she dropped the bomb about Allen's location. She suddenly felt so worried. Was it a bad miscalculation to tell her this soon about her father?

"No way!" Liana suddenly said between sobs.

"Why didn't you tell me mommy? Why do you have to hide it?"

The mother hitched her breath as she felt fear slowly forming in her chest. The look and the heavy tears from Liana's face was what scared her. Was her daughter angry? Was she angry at her for hiding the truth?

She gulped and opened her mouth to speak, to tell her girl that she didn't mean to. But before she could even form the words…

"This is a coffin right, mommy?...Is he dead? I-Is daddy dead?...Is that the reason why he's missing? B-Because he's…"

Liana stared up at her with fearful eyes.

"I-Is he already d-dead?"

Silence…

There were a few blinks from Lenalee's eyes as she stared at her crying daughter for a moment. Then she gasped and chuckled. She shook her head and hurriedly went to her weeping daughter. So Liana's crying because she thought her father's dead? She kneeled and wrapped her arms around Liana and her hands started rubbing the girl's back soothingly. As she comforted her daughter, she released a sigh of relief from her lips. At least it's not because Liana's sad or angry about the truth.

She patted the little girl's head. "Oh no, you got it all wrong Liana-chan. Your father's not dead!"

Liana hiccupped a few times.

"T-Then why is he inside a coffin?"

"That's not a coffin, honey. That's a life-support capsule made by your uncle Komui. It helps your father."

There was a pause before Liana looked up to her from their embrace.

"So daddy's not d-dead?"

Lenalee smiled.

"No dear. He's not dead. He's just sleeping inside."

Her answer seemed to be enough to cheer the girl up since Liana suddenly broke away from her with big hopeful eyes. A few tears remained at the corners of her eyes but she wasn't crying or sobbing anymore.

"Why is he sleeping here mommy? Won't he feel stuffy?" she muttered and pulled on her mother's sleeve.

"Can't we wake him up? I want to see him!"

"We can't. He won't wake up."

A frown appeared on Liana's face.

"Why?"

Lenalee paused for a moment, debating whether she should reveal everything now. She'd rather tell her daughter everything in a better setting but the longer she stared at the frown on Liana's face, her resolve to tell in another time slowly shattered. She sighed and thought for a moment.

"Because he's cursed." she answered, a sad smile returning to her face.

"Your daddy's under a curse that prevents him from waking up."

There was a moment of silence before her daughter tilted her head in confusion.

"A curse?"

"Yes, a curse. Unless the curse is broken, he'll remain asleep. That's the reason why he can't go out from there."

Suddenly, tears also formed on Lenalee's violet orbs.

"That's why…that's why you haven't seen him all this time. That's why we can't be together…because of his curse…"

She gasped, shook her head then looked away to wipe the tears that formed. But her emotions were too overwhelming, so she just gave up trying to prevent her tears and looked down while she sobbed quietly. She felt ashamed for breaking down in front of her daughter but she can't suppress it. She can't stop the loneliness she's feeling just from the knowledge that her daughter had been fatherless for too long.

Liana stared at her crying mother, the expression in her eyes turning from confusion to panic, then understanding. She nodded then hurriedly wiped the remaining tears on her eyes, and then she raised her arms and hugged her mother as tight as she could.

"Don't cry mommy! See? I'm not crying anymore!"

What her daughter said made Lenalee laugh despite her sobs. She patted the girl's head and finally wiped her tears, although some remained dangling on her eyes.

"I'm here okaa-san! You don't have to be sad."

"How about you? Are you not sad? Or angry?"

"I'm sad…" the girl answered with a frown, then it turned into a smile. "But I'm also happy. I'm happy b'cause daddy's here. Daddy's not missing."

Her answer made Lenalee smile too. "I'm sure your daddy will be happy too if he heard what you said."

She narrowed her eyes apologetically.

"I'm sorry Liana-chan. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Will you forgive your mother?"

"You didn't mean it right?" the girl responded with a grin. "You didn't mean to do it right, mommy? Of course I forgive you!"

"You're not angry with mommy?"

"I was sad…but I'm not angry with you!"

Another smile. "Thank you. Thank you Liana-chan. You don't know how much that means to me."

Lenalee sighed then chuckled in relief, as if to ease the remaining distress and other heavy feelings inside her chest. After that, she diverted her gaze towards the capsule.

"Six years had passed and your father remained sleeping. I want to see him so much…and I'm sure the same goes for him."

Liana blinked then nodded, as if an idea formed in her mind. Determination can be seen in her eyes.

"Then let's break the curse mommy! We can't stop now! I'll do what I can to help so that he can wake up!"

The sudden enthusiasm and fighting spirit from her daughter made Lenalee smile more as she laughed a bit, but deep down she felt nervous. Now came the critical part. She caressed the girl's hair and sat beside the capsule, pulling her child on her lap.

"Alright. I'll explain everything to you so that you can help."

It might take the whole night explaining to Liana what happened years before, but she's willing to tell. Lenalee just hoped her daughter would understand everything correctly.

-/-/-

-/-/-

…_and then the boy fell deep asleep…_

_the gasping flames within the ashes, one by one…_

_rise up and expand…_

_into that beloved face… _

The pillars were painted white and the walls were all made of glass. At the center of the room was a piano, also colored pure white.

…_suspended from the earth…_

_thousands of dreams…_

_on the night when those silver eyes trembled… _

_you were born, shining brightly…_

Long fingers continued to flow through the piano's keys as the person produced a perfect rhythm of the song. There were no mistakes from how he played and one would think he practically owned the song, as if he was the one who created it.

…_hundreds of millions of months and years…_

_no matter how many prayers are returned to the earth…_

_I shall…_

_continue to pray… -_

But in the middle of it, _he_ stopped. His fingers seemed frozen in their position on the keys, while his head slowly rose from the piano to look above as if there was something he noticed. Silence reigned the surroundings until he smiled a bit, his white hair covering his eyes.

"It's your beloved."

He simply muttered and finally let his head drop down to eye level. His silver orbs stared at the glass in front of him – at his reflection. Then he smirked.

"Allen Walker."

Slowly the reflection was distorted and was replaced by a very similar figure to him. The background shows the same room _he_ was in. The only difference of _his_ reflection was the long white hair that flowed to his back, a black complicated coat that contrasted _his_ white one, and a face that matured through the years, although he remained younger than _him_.

_He_ stared at the figure in the mirror until it smirked.

"And what did she say?" Allen dropped the smirk. "14th?"

His other self didn't reply as _he_ looked up again and closed _his_ deeper silver eyes. A few seconds passed and _he_ looked down to him again, face passive.

"I can't make out everything she's saying. But some of her words are enough for me to tell you that she's alright."

The 14th's statement made Allen sigh in relief and smile sadly. He also looked up as if trying to hear what his other self heard too. But just like the other times since he was trapped there, he can't hear anything.

"Yesterday was my daughter's sixth birthday." He stated affectionately. "I bet Lenalee's speaking to inform me of it."

"That she did. I vaguely heard the words 'daughter' and 'birthday'."

"Is that all?"

"I'm afraid that was all I can manage. The range of her voice was very faint. I can't make out most of what she's saying."

"It's ok."

Allen smiled. The 14th stared at the gesture and recognized it as a smile of gratefulness, as thanks for informing him about his family.

"I'm glad they're alright."

Allen sighed and smiled more at the person in front of him, at the other side of the mirror. The 14th stared at the smile again, now identifying it as a fake one – a smile that was meant just to be civilized.

"I'm really jealous of you, fourteenth." The exorcist muttered with a slight cheery voice. "I wish I can also hear Lenalee. Although her voice is very faint, I still want to hear it."

Silence.

They stared at each other. And somehow Allen already knew what the 14th was bound to say. It was always like that anyway.

He reached out on a pocket in his coat and pulled a small golden cross. Runic signs were embedded on every corner of it. He held it to his eye level and stared.

"Master's seal…" he narrowed his eyes then glanced at the person on the other side of the glass.

"I still won't destroy it so don't even try."

With that, he returned the small cross in his pocket, his lips forming yet another smile.

The 14th stared at his reflection then ran a finger through the piano's keys.

"Time's running up, Walker. If you don't break the seal –

"I know." Allen cut in with a slight glare.

"But I will not destroy it. I'll find another way, any other way to get out of this."

"The only way to get out of that dimension is to destroy Cross Marian's seal. You have to do it, Walker."

"If there's a will, there's a way. I won't do it. Besides, why should I trust you? The last time you were able to take over my body, I almost killed Lenalee. I won't ever let that happen again."

The two men stared at each other, with Allen daring the 14th to say more through his eyes. But a minute passed and the Noah remained silent. The 14th looked away and closed the piano with a gentle push from his hands.

"You have a point."

Allen watched his other self disappear slowly into thin air. When there was no sign of _him_, he shook his head and turned to face his own piano room in his dimension – the exact replica of the room where the 14th had been.

That was the true nature of Edea's curse. It had exchanged his place in his subconscious with the separate dimension his master's seal created – where the 14th was originally imprisoned. The only thing that kept the 14th from conquering his body was the wall around them that separates his subconscious from his consciousness. It was a thick wall before but ever since the seal was weakened thanks to Edea's curse, the iron wall became a transparent thin glass wall.

Simply put, he was the one imprisoned now in his master's dimension while his other self was free in his subconscious. The 14th's ability to hear what Lenalee's saying and his disappearing on him was a proof of that. The Noah said he was sleeping whenever he would disappear, but who knows? Maybe he's been trying to overtake his body.

Given their positions, the 14th just have to destroy the seal in order to be free. Once it was destroyed the wall and the dimension would disappear. Unfortunately for the Noah, he was able to snatch the seal – which turned from a large cross to a small pendant, and take it with him before he was imprisoned in the other dimension. So the Noah's only chance to be free was to have him, his host, destroy it.

Of course, he would be free as well. But that's where the complicated thing would happen. As soon as he got out of the dimension, he would be absorbed by the 14th's consciousness. It was that defeat that he was avoiding.

And all those years his other self had been trying to persuade him to destroy the tiny cross. Surely, he wouldn't do that. He'd rather stay there than let him destroy the ones he loved. He'll just have to find another way to break Edea's curse.

What confused him though, was the fact that the 14th was very different from the maniacal being that almost took his body before. The Noah now was passive, emotionless and seemed to lose any will to live. He was even generous enough to tell him what he had been hearing from Lenalee through those years, and he was grateful for that. That's why he was able to have a civilized conversation with the Noah up to now.

But that's not enough reason to comply. He might do all those things to convince him, but he won't destroy the seal. Not when he promised he would be the one to come back and not his other self.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"So…what's with that stupid big grin?"

Kiri raised his brows upon seeing the huge grin on Liana's face. It was morning and he had opened his door to find out the girl wanted to go to the training hall together. That wasn't a surprise since she had fetched him the other day too. But what disturbed him was, again, the humongous grin on her lips – the type where it was enough to reach her ears.

Liana only giggled and pulled him out of his room and closed it for him. He rolled his eyes at that and let the girl drag him to his training.

"Did something good happen?" Kiri asked since he knew Liana would want him to ask. As what he expected she nodded enthusiastically, stopped walking, and turned around to face him.

"You guessed it Kiri-kun!"

The boy sighed. "What is it?"

"I found daddy!" that was what she almost said. But then, the stern face of her mother appeared in her mind, with the warning that she told.

"_This is a secret Liana-chan. If you want to come here again, no one should find out about your daddy ok?"_

Her grin dropped a bit then she laughed, to hide the slight uncertainty she had there. When she recovered, she took Kiri's hand and pulled him again.

"I'm happy because mommy said she'll help me activate my innocence Kiri-kun! Soon, I'll be training with you!"

Kiri raised a brow then shrugged. He congratulated her then told her to let him walk on his own. Liana smiled and gladly let him.

They stopped by the cafeteria first to get a quick breakfast before really proceeding to the training grounds. Kiri was again surprised that Liana managed to finish up her 3 plates of food as soon as he finished his, but seeing that he's almost late for his training, he decided not to complain about it.

As expected, Kanda was already there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His eyes were formerly closed as if meditating, but after hearing the noisy footsteps of the kids, he opened his eyes and greeted them with a glare.

"It's exactly 7." Kanda muttered with a frown. "You're almost late."

Kiri hurriedly bowed. "I'm sorry master! It won't happen again!"

"Ne, Kanda-ji, why do you have to scold Kiri-kun? He's not late!"

Liana suddenly retorted with a frown too. The master and student stared at the girl with Kiri being surprised and Kanda without any much expression…except for the bigger frown on his lips.

"I'm the master here, chibi moyashi. I can scold him whenever I want."

"Yeah, but he's not late!"

"He's almost late, and he made his master wait. Making me wait is impolite."

"That's because you're too early!"

"Well, then he should be earlier than me."

"Kanda-ji you baka!"

"Che. Baka chibi moyashi."

"Woah, woah there!"

The argument of the two was halted with the sudden entrance of none other than Lavi. The red head was sporting an amused grin on his face as he went in between the kid and the adult, effectively stopping the small angry spark between their eyes.

"It's a wonderful morning! Don't go ruining it with your arguments again!"

Liana pouted then pulled at Lavi's pants.

"It's Kanda-ji's fault!"

"His fault?" Lavi glanced at his comrade, only to receive a glare. He sweatdropped.

"So, what did he do?"

"He scolded Kiri-kun when he wasn't even late!"

The red head then glanced at the listening boy. Kiri gave him a nervous shrug.

Lavi sighed.

"Oi, Kanda. We all know that you're always early than the expected time. Why do you have to scold the kid?"

Another glare. "I don't like waiting."

"Well, that's your problem." Lavi patted Liana's head. "And stop arguing with Liana-chan."

"Tch."

"And you, don't shout at older people Lia-chan. It's impolite."

Liana pouted, annoyed that she was scolded as well. She glanced at her Japanese godfather as if trying to figure what what's on his mind. Kanda only raised an eyebrow at her. She frowned more then sighed, hesitated, then nodded.

She pulled away from Lavi then slowly walked towards the frowning general. Kanda blinked then looked away as if he was a stubborn child. The girl's head was bowed down.

"Kanda-ji…" Liana started with a blush and a small pout. Kanda glanced at her.

"What, chibi moyashi?"

"…I'm sorry for shouting at you."

Silence…

Lavi and Kiri waited for a response from the Japanese. There was a twitching from him and number of shifting gazes. Eventually, he grunted then placed a hand on the girl's head. The action made Liana to look up to him. They stared at each other.

"Tch."

Another grunt and a small tint of pink on the cheeks while he looked away again.

"…I'm sorry too."

Then there were cheers from Lavi's side while Liana nodded at Kanda with a big grin. The general only grunted more with a frown returning to his face. His head whipped at his apprentice.

"Kiri! Follow me. We'll be having meditation first!"

The sudden order made the boy jump to his feet.

"Yes master!"

Lavi grinned. "Oooh…stone cold Kanda apologized! How wonderful ~!"

"Shut up!"

And off went the master and the student as they proceeded to the meditation rooms. Lavi chuckled for a few moments before shaking his head and took a step to exit the training grounds. He was only there to see his friend anyway.

But then, a certain pair of silver eyes made him stop in his tracks. He blinked in surprise when he realized Liana was still there, staring at him.

"Liana-chan?" he muttered with a slight confused tone. "You're not gonna follow Kiri-kun?"

The girl shook her head.

"They're meditating so I don't want to disturb them."

"Ah, you're right."

Silence…

"Lavi-ji?"

"Yeah?"

"Umm…"

Liana was shifting gazes and she kept fumbling on her skirt. The red head raised a brow at that. It was not very often that the girl seemed to be bothered and hesitant about something. Did something happen?

He paused to think. But then, she was calling his name, and she was looking at him as if he's the only one in the world who can help her. He can't recall anything he did to the girl that can make her so troubled.

"Hmm…" he narrowed his eyes.

"Is there something you want me to say or do, Liana-chan?"

The sudden grin and the enthusiastic nod from the girl was enough to tell him that he was right. He chuckled then crouched down in front of her.

"What is it?"

Liana excitedly went nearer to him and leaned to his ear to whisper, a big smile on her face.

"Will you tell me stories about my daddy?"

. . .

"W-What?"

Lavi broke away from the girl in surprise. He stared at her as if convincing himself that what he heard was right. But the pout on Liana's lips was enough evidence for him that he heard correctly.

He thought of changing the topic, but he suddenly remembered that he tried to convince Lenalee about telling her daughter about her father. Given the request Liana wanted him to do, did that mean Lenalee already told the girl about Allen?

The possibility both made him excited and nervous at the same time. He would gladly tell his godchild stories about her dad, but he had to make sure she already knew some things about Allen. If it turned out that Lenalee didn't tell her at all, he would have to decline the girl.

"Alright. I'll tell you…"

Liana started cheering but he cut her in with a smirk.

"…only if you tell me what your father's name is."

The girl stopped cheering as her eyes widened. Lavi's smirk became bigger. He knew for a fact that Lenalee hadn't told the girl her father's name ever since she was born. So if she didn't know what the name was, that meant her mother still didn't reveal the truth.

The silence from Liana made him think that she didn't know at all. But then, she grinned then went to him again. Her eyes were shining excitedly.

"That's easy Lavi-ji!" she whispered giddily.

"It's Allen right? Allen Walker. Mommy told me."

Her answer surprised the red head for a moment before he sighed then grinned. Her answer confirmed it.

"Ok!" he whispered back at her. "But we can't talk here. You know this is supposed to be a secret right?"

Liana nodded. "Yes!"

"Good. Let's go!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

"I'm really glad your mother decided to tell you."

Lavi stated as he rummaged his closet as if looking for something.

"Now it won't be hard to explain to you when the time comes. Man, I can't believe I can finally tell you about your father! It's been years!"

He had led Liana straightly to his room after the two of them spoke at the training grounds earlier. Truthfully, he'd rather bring her to another place that was more secure. But at the moment, the only place where they could talk privately was his room. Besides, he had some pictures that he could show to the girl. Now, if he could just remember where he had put it…

"What are you looking for Lavi-ji?"

Liana asked as she watched her uncle curiously. She was sitting patiently on his bed, her legs swinging back and forth.

"There's something I need to show you. I'm sure you'll be happy when you see it."

The red head answered while throwing some books and clothes from closets and drawers. He shook his head and stopped to think for a moment.

"Lavi-ji?"

"Ah!"

He ignored Liana for a moment and started rummaging on the pile of books instead. He stooped when he found a book titled "The Count of Monte Cristo". With a grin, he opened the book and went straight to the back cover. He pressed his fingers there as if confirming something. After that, he took a small knife from his desk and started cutting the cover carefully, taking out the outer paper in a neat slice.

"All pictures with your dad in it were confiscated by the Central when you were born." He started explaining after he finished slicing the paper.

"But your mom managed to save one. She asked me to hide it for her since it's more dangerous for her to hide it."

Carefully, he took out an old photograph from the flap of the paper he sliced. He looked at it for a moment before turning to sit beside the girl on his bed. With a smile, he gave the picture to Liana.

"That photo was taken after we recovered from our fight with the Earl."

Liana stared at the photo in excitement. It was a picture of six people. On the most right side was her auntie Miranda who she almost didn't recognize because of the big black eye bags below her eyes. Then at the most left was her Kanda-ji, looking younger but still with the signature frown on his face. Beside Miranda was Lavi, also looking much younger. He had a big grin on his lips. After Kanda was Crowley who was looking shy in front of the camera, a small blush was present on his pale face. All of the people there had bandages around different parts of their bodies and they all looked worn out, but they still looked happy.

Then at the center was her mother, hair much shorter than her current hair length. She had a beautiful smile on her lips while her head was leaned to the side on the shoulder of someone beside her. Her hands were also curled around the person's arm.

Her eyes widened when they landed on a white-haired young man. He was smiling solemnly, his silver eyes looking directly at her.

That person was…

"This is the nii-san in my dream Lavi-ji!" she said as she pointed at the person. "So he's a real person? Why is he here?"

Lavi chuckled at the girl's response. He shook his head and ruffled Liana's hair. He wondered how she'll react when he told her who that person really was.

"Is he your friend Lavi-ji?"

"Yup."

He leaned to her ear. "He's your father Liana-chan."

Silence…

Liana stared at him with widened eyes, her mouth parted slightly in shock.

"This…" she gulped as she glanced at him, then went looking at the picture again.

"This nii-san is daddy?"

The red head almost giggled at the shock on the girl's face. But he suppressed it and only managed a big smile.

"Yes Lia-chan. That nii-san is your father."

There wasn't a reaction for a moment until Liana's eyes widened again, this time in delight. A wide smile formed on her lips as small tears dangled on her eyes. She can't believe it. So that big brother she saw in her dream…that big brother who smiled at her encouragingly while fighting akuma…was her father!

'_If only you can see her now Allen.'_ Lavi thought almost sadly. _'If only you can see how happy your daughter is…'_

He shook his head then patted Liana's head comfortingly.

"He might look weak from all those wounds and bandages there, but he's actually the most powerful exorcist during the war. He's known as General Allen Walker, the Destroyer of Time."

An 'o' formed on Liana's lips with what Lavi said. She didn't know her father had an important position in the Black Order. A general! Her father was a general! Just like her Kanda-ji!

Lavi chuckled at the amazement obvious in Liana's eyes.

"He's a hero too. You know the story about the Earl of Millennium's defeat? About the 'great general'?"

Liana nodded. "I know! I've been listening to history class after all!"

"Good!" the red head grinned. "That 'great general' is your father."

A moment of silence.

Liana gasped. "R-Really? Really, Lavi-ji?"

"He really is! That's how great your father is Lia-chan! You should be proud!"

The amazement on the girl's face never left as the girl stared unwaveringly at the image of her dad in the photograph.

"Wow…mommy didn't tell me…."

Lavi's ears perked at her comment. Lenalee didn't tell her daughter a simple fact as that? Then what did the Chinese woman tell the girl about her father?

"Lia-chan, why are you asking me to tell you anyway? Didn't your mother tell you already?"

The girl shook her head. "Mommy only told me about daddy's curse and how he got it. She wanted to tell me more but I fell asleep right after that."

She grinned sheepishly. "I want to ask her today, but she's busy helping Komui-ji so I asked you instead!"

"Do you know about the…hmm…that room where there is a capsule? Do you know that your dad's in it?"

"Yes! We talked about everything inside that room!"

The red head nodded then started to think if he should tell the girl more. It was not really his place to tell the girl anyway. And he's sure Lenalee wanted to tell her daughter herself.

"Lavi-ji, what kind of person is he? Is he like Kanda-ji? Or uncle Crowley? Tell me!"

His thoughts were interrupted at the pulling of his sleeve and the excited tone in Liana's voice. He stared at her face for a moment then sighed. Oh well, might as well tell her. Besides, what he had been telling her was the truth. He wasn't doing any harm on Allen's reputation.

"What kind of person he is?" he repeated the question to himself with a smile.

"He's the kindest person. He's the only one I know who wants to save both humans and akuma. He would gladly sacrifice himself if he could save everyone."

A grin. "He's also the biggest glutton! He can eat mountains of food if he's hungry, and never got fat after that."

Liana stared at him curiously. "Really?"'

"Yeah. Just like you."

The girl blushed then looked down at the picture again. The red head laughed upon seeing Liana's embarrassment.

"That's because you're both parasitic types. You both need all the energy to sustain your innocence. But…well, not all parasitic types have THAT kind of appetite."

Liana nodded then pulled on his shirt again.

"What else? What else?"

"Hmm…he's a perfect gentleman when it came to women…so opposite of his master…"

Lavi laughed. "I remember…he's such a gentleman that for years, he refused to tell your mother he loves her because he thought it's impolite! Can you believe that? It wasn't until your mother confessed first, that he actually got to tell her!"

The girl tilted her head as if she didn't quite understand what he was talking about. Lavi shook his head then patted her hair, a grin on his mouth.

"Your dad's a pretty funny person himself. He was almost always the victim of Komui's robot experiments and he never got tired of arguing with Kanda. He's deadly and arrogant with card games but so hopeless when it comes to dating and stuff. I remember those times when I have to teach him how to treat Lenalee when they're together."

He sighed.

"Damn. Talking about him like this makes me want to open that capsule and pull him out so he could talk about it himself. It's been so long…"

He shook his head then turned to face the little girl who was looking back at him with questioning eyes. He smiled at her then placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't worry Liana-chan. Allen will definitely wake up. He's doing his best so you should do your best too. You have to make your father proud."

They stared at each for a moment until Liana gave him a determined smile and a nod.

"I'll do my best!"

"LAVI!"

Suddenly, there was a boom and the locked door of his room was destroyed. The red head and the petite girl didn't move as they stared wide-eyed at the space where the door was formerly in.

"Lavi! Are you in there? We can't start the meeting without you –

Komui was standing at the doorway, a pleasant smile on his face as he wore a construction hat and his hands holding a drilling machine. He cocked his head to the side when he noticed his niece inside there.

"Liana-chan?"

Suddenly, he took notice of the position of the two. He noticed how their faces were less than a foot away, how the red-haired male's hands were on his niece's shoulders as if…as if…

His eyes began twitching and he slowly moved his head to its original upright position. Lavi gulped when he noticed the dark aura forming behind the supervisor's back.

He slowly removed his hands from Liana's shoulders.

"O-Oi, Komui….whatever you're thinking, you got it all wrong! I… -

"YOU PERVERTED RED-HAIRED IDIOT! How dare you harass my precious Liana-chan!"

Komui pulled something on the driller then there was a dangerous loud vibrating noise.

"DIE!"

"Noo!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

Boredom was screaming on his face as Allen sat limply on the piano chair. His back was leaned against the closed keys. He sighed as his human hand played with the ends of his now long white hair.

"I wish I got to know what my daughter's name is…"

He muttered when he remembered that the 14th never got to hear his little girl's name from all those times that Lenalee spoke.

From the other side, the 14th was checking the tunes of the keys. He looked at the glass as he heard his other self speak.

"What will you name her if you were given a chance?"

Allen glanced at the 14th. He watched the man for a moment.

"I don't really know. Maybe…maybe something that starts with an A…or L, like her mother's name."

He smiled. "I think she'll look like her mother. If that's the case, something that starts with L would be nice."

After his answer, there was silence between them. Allen wondered if the Noah had just ignored what he said but then, the fourteenth stopped what he was doing then turned to face him.

"There's a way, Allen Walker. There's a way to see your child."

The exorcist smirked. "Here we go again. I know what you're about to say, but my answer's still no."

He dropped his hair. "We've been going on like this for six years. Aren't you getting tired?"

"You promised that woman, Walker. You told her you'll come back. Aren't you going to keep that promise?"

What the 14th said made him annoyed. He sat straight then gave his other self a glare.

"Do you think I'm not ashamed of being unable to keep that promise sooner? I'll do anything to get back, just not that way you're suggesting! I won't risk their lives just to break this curse."

Silence…

Allen returned to his laid back position after that, his hands now inside the pockets of his pants. His eyes were steadily watching the Noah as if anticipating what he would do next. But the 14th only stared back at him, face without emotion.

The exorcist sighed. Why can't he just ignore him anyway?

"You've never been this persistent. Before, you would mention my master's seal once in a while. But now, you'll talk about it whenever you get the chance."

He narrowed his eyes. "What happened that made you this desperate to persuade me?"

A pause. "If I tell you, will you break Cross Marian's seal?"

A smirk. "So you're going to tell me now, after all these years? But if that's the condition, I'd rather not hear it."

The Noah remained unfazed with his answer, as if he knew he had the upper hand. He raised a brow as the 14th shook his head before giving him a smirk back.

"I don't really care if you rot here for eternity. But that's not going to happen. Be grateful I'm even telling you this because if I don't, you'll find yourself and your family killed in the very near future."

Allen tensed at the sudden change of tone from the Noah. The fourteenth's voice was laced with an intimidating note, with a slight glare fixed in his deeper silver eyes. The exorcist found himself unable to retort back, especially since the Noah's statement included the words "family" and "killed". And somehow, he felt he should at least listen to what the Noah had to say…if it could shut his mouth up.

The 14th smirked wide at the lack of reaction from his reflection.

"Now listen well, my host. I won't be repeating what I'll say."

Allen sighed. "Whatever. But don't expect me to actually break my master's seal."

"Fair enough. At least you will listen."

"Good. What's your story then?"

The Noah nodded then sat himself on the piano chair, his position directly facing Allen.

"You may have all my memories about the Earl. But you don't have any when it comes to Edea. And here's the first thing you should know."

He stared at the exorcist.

"That woman might be the most powerful enemy you will have to face. Even if you come back, your chance of winning is very nil. I'm saying this as someone who knows all of your abilities."

Allen was unfazed. "So you're saying she's unbeatable? That the outcome of this war is already decided?"

"Similar. But I'm not saying it's impossible to win."

"What's the catch then?"

"Edea may be more powerful than the Earl when it comes to dark matter…" The Noah smirked at him. "But she has three very big weaknesses."

Allen raised his brow. "Weaknesses?"

"Yes. Using those weaknesses is the only chance you have to defeat that woman once and for all. The Earl knew of those weaknesses so he was able to seal Edea for many centuries. Although if he was more powerful that time, he could have killed her already."

He pointed at Allen. "But you…you managed to defeat the Earl. That means, you are more powerful than him. If you use those weaknesses, you might be able to kill Edea off."

"And another thing is…" he gave the exorcist a smile. "The only ones who knew are me and the Earl. On top of that, she has no idea _I_ know. Since the Earl is dead, she thinks no one in the world knows her weaknesses. If I tell you, that will be your biggest advantage."

"And one of her weaknesses." Allen continued. His other self nodded.

"Exactly."

"What are the other two weaknesses?"

"That…" the 14th shook his head. "I cannot say for now."

His answer made Allen smirk.

"So that's your trump card huh? You get me interested then hide what I want to know. You want me to agree into destroying master's seal before you tell."

The Noah shrugged. "That was my original plan but I knew you'll figure out. I'll tell you when the right time comes. I want you to listen first."

Allen kept silent for a moment. He was indeed becoming interested in their current conversation and if the 14th would play it right, he might agree to his terms in the end. But there was something peculiar about their conversation. It was something that had been bugging him since the start.

"Before we continue this, there's something I want to ask." He started. His other self nodded.

"What is it?"

"Tell me your reasons for revealing this much to me. Aren't you supposed to be by Edea…your _mother's_ side?"

Silence…

They stared at each other for a moment, Allen in anticipation while the other remained emotionless. Then the Noah smirked.

"Who told you I'm on her side?"

Surprise was clearly evident on the exorcist's face after he heard the fourteenth's answer. Did he just tell him he wasn't one of Edea's followers?

But he wouldn't give in easily. The Noah might be playing tricks with his mind.

"If you're not with her, then why is she trying to revive you? Surely she wouldn't do that if you're not."

"That's because I know the ark more than her, and _you_ are the host. By having the two of us, it will mean more control on the ark and more power against the exorcists. It's not about loyalty."

He looked down as if thinking.

"But by trying to revive me, she's also taking a risk. She knows how I betrayed the Earl, so it's possible she's afraid I might do that to her too. But because she's our _mother_ – the one who gave us the Noah genes, she thinks I might help her since I owe my life to her."

"That's also the reason why she chose to seal you, my host, rather than force my soul to take over your body." He continued. "She's afraid I might refuse if she forced me, so she placed a curse on you instead. She's waiting a sign from me…to tell her that I'm on her side."

"And when she sees that sign, she'll revive you fully." Allen cut in with narrowed eyes.

The 14th smiled then nodded.

"Actually, I'm neutral about your wars right now. I don't want anything to do with you and Edea's affairs. My purpose is only to kill the Earl. Now that he's gone, I don't care anymore. I just want to rest."

"Then why are you even telling me these things if you don't care?"

"I don't really want to care. But ever since I was awakened by Edea's curse on you, I have to. As long as she's alive, I'll remain disturbed like this. She has to disappear first before I could rest."

The Noah sighed. "The truth is, I've been sleeping all this time, waiting for you to die one day so that my soul can be free."

Allen didn't answer while he tried to digest everything his other self had been telling him until now. Honestly, it was hard for him to believe everything. Who wouldn't be? The 14th Noah he knew was a maniacal being who wanted to take over his body and kill the Earl. He almost killed Lenalee and his comrades because of his thirst for the Earl's death. Yet, as he watched the Noah's features carefully, he realized his other self wasn't the being he knew before. The current fourteenth was an emotionless, depressed man who looked like he didn't want to live anymore.

And as far as his connection with him as his host was concerned, he can feel that his other self was really deprived of "rest".

"Why now 14th?" Allen asked when he had enough watching the Noah. "Why tell me just now? You could have told me sooner. I might have agreed then and I could have returned to my friends earlier."

The Noah looked up at his question, a grateful smile on his lips.

"Because now's the right time. I can feel it. Edea will move very soon. You have to stop her."

Something from the 14th's response made the exorcist smirk again.

"You just said _I'LL_ have to stop her. Does that mean what I think it is?"

The Noah smirked back.

"I'll tell you all the details Walker. Then you have to answer me once and for all, if you will destroy Cross Marian's seal or not."

-/-/-

-/-/-

Lenalee raised a brow at the appearance of the red-haired male in front of her. He was sitting limply on one of the hospital's beds, half of his body covered in bandages with his visible eye swollen beyond imagination. A sheepish grin was on his lips.

The Chinese woman sighed and crossed her arms on her chest.

"You have the nerve to grin like that…" she muttered without a smile. "I heard you took Liana-chan into your room…"

Lavi grunted. "Not that again. I did take her to my room, but that's because we have to discuss something _very important _and _private._" He winced when he touched his cheek.

"And damn! Your brother doesn't have to be so angry about it! Look at what he did to me!"

Lenalee shrugged. "You know how nii-san is and I apologize for that. But that doesn't mean I allow you to take my daughter wherever you want."

"I wouldn't do anything to her. Sure, she's the cutest kid in the whole wide world but I don't swing like that ok?"

"Hmm…"

"Oh c'mon Lenalee! Just seeing the state of my body parts right now, I wouldn't _dare_ to even think about it!"

The woman further raised her fine eyebrows before she had enough fooling around with her friend. She shook her head and poked Lavi's forehead, to which the male responded with an annoyed "Oww!"

"So," Lenalee started after she sat beside her friend. "What's this _very important _and _private _issue you talked with Liana-chan?"

The question made the red head smirk.

"Oh nothing. Just a few things about her dad."

Silence…

"Y-You…!"

"Don't worry Lenalee." Lavi said as he scanned the empty ward with analytical eyes, making sure no one was there to listen.

"She told me you already revealed the truth to her. She said she wants to hear stories about her dad so I just did."

The female exorcist pouted after a moment. "She could have asked me."

"She wanted to. But she said you're busy helping Komui so she asked me instead."

Lenalee thought for a moment then sighed. It was true that she was busy almost the whole day helping her brother arrange a ton of documents in his office. Maybe she should have told Liana to wait until she's finished? Then again, Lavi already did her job. No use thinking of what-if's.

"Then thanks for accommodating my daughter." She told the red head after a few moments. "She's been excited since last night. If she didn't fall asleep when I'm about to tell her more, we might have stayed awake the whole night talking about her dad…"

"It's no biggie. I'm actually also excited about telling her." Lavi grinned. "And seeing her reactions, I don't regret it."

Lenalee became curious. "What did you tell her anyway?"

"Hmm…the basic stuff." The male leaned slightly to whisper. "Like, her dad's a general of this organization…he's the 'great general' in the stories…he's a gentleman….stuff like that."

"Really? How did she react? Was she happy?"

"Of course she is! You should have seen her face while I tell her. Her eyes were literally sparkling Lenalee! It's like she's hearing stories about her favorite superhero or something."

The red head's answer made the woman grin and giggle. She's glad her daughter's reaction about her father was positive. And as she thought about it, who wouldn't be happy learning that your father was actually an important figure in the world you're living in? If she was in her daughter's place, she would have forced Lavi to tell Allen's _whole_ life.

"But the rest will be for you to tell Lenalee." Lavi said. "I can't risk being murdered by Komui again."

Lenalee chuckled. "Alright. I'll tell her more later."

She looked at the clock situated on the wall across them then narrowed her eyes. She sighed then stood up from the bed, smoothing the skirts of her uniform.

"It's time Lavi. The meeting's been delayed because of the incident in your room earlier."

The male sweatdropped. "Sorry about that."

He stretched his aching muscles then stood up too. The friends exchanged nods then finally left the ward.

Since it was already afternoon and most of the exorcists and finders were already resting or eating at the cafeteria, there weren't anyone who greeted or stopped them to ask something. They arrived at Komui's office faster than before and were inside there in a minute.

The office was filled with the senior exorcists, which included the exorcists who fought with the Earl and 6 others who joined them after Edea's appearance. Upon arriving there, Lavi quickly apologized for causing the sudden change of the meeting's schedule while Lenalee apologized for being late. After some teasings and playful bickering courtesy of Lavi and Kanda, Komui called the meeting to be started.

"As you noticed, all of you here are the most senior exorcists of our Order, with the exemption of the other generals of course."

The Chinese supervisor started with the whiff of his hand. He leaned his elbows on the desk with his lower arms raised up, his fingers laced with each other. He narrowed his eyes at the people in front of them.

"You also should have noticed that the recent deaths include many of our comrades who've been with us for at least 4 years. And now, only half of you seniors are left."

The smiles dropped at Komui's continuation, their faces changed into serious expressions.

"Just like general Kanda said, Edea's planning to kill all the seniors and leave the newcomers behind. That way, it will be easy for them to attack and defeat us."

Whispers started as soon as Komui continued his statement. He cleared his throat to get their attention again.

"That's why I want you all to be extra careful. Contact us as soon as you can if a Noah has been detected and retreat immediately, regardless of the situation. Avoid confrontation as much as possible."

"Wait!" one of the exorcists cut in. "Is it alright to give up like that? Didn't you guys always say we should give our best and fight?"

The supervisor didn't answer for a moment. "Your lives should be prioritized in our current situation. Suppose you fight with the Noah and you ended up dying, that will mean minus one of the capable exorcists and more advantage for the enemy. We don't want that kind of situation."

The exorcist who reacted suddenly tensed. Komui sighed.

"The only ones who can fight with the Noah are the ones who fought during the first war." He said as he glanced at Kanda, Lavi and their friends. He looked at the other exorcists.

"That's why during missions, you will be accompanied by one of your seniors. That way, it will be safer for you if you encounter a Noah." He looked at Lenalee and the others again.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes!"

"Good. I will also be assigning a special training course for your students. We need to prepare them now if ever there's a surprise attack from the enemy."

"Lavi." The supervisor suddenly called. The red head nodded.

"I'm afraid you have to accept a student now. I know you are obligated to train only a Bookman successor, but we need your strength in this. At least only during this special training course."

The other occupants of the room waited for Lavi to respond. The red head seemed to be hesitant about the idea, but after some quick thinking, he sighed and finally nodded.

"I understand. It's not like I have much of a choice either." He answered with a grin.

Komui nodded then turned to his sister.

"Lenalee, you too. You can stop helping with the administrative work for now. I'll be assigning a few newcomers for you to train."

"Ok. I'll do my best." Lenalee responded seriously.

"The outline of the special training course will be given to you later. You need to study it and you should start by tomorrow. Is that clear?"

"Yes!"

"Ok."

There was silence for a moment as the two siblings shared a short glance at each other, as if passing a secret message. Komui nodded then smiled at the other exorcists.

"You may leave now. We will give the training outline before dinner."

With that, the exorcists left the office one by one until Lenalee, Kanda, Lavi, Miranda and Crowley were the only ones left. After Lavi locked the door, they all relaxed and turned to the female Chinese exorcist.

"So," Komui started with a wide smile. "What do you want to talk about with us, Lenalee?"

Lenalee didn't answer for a moment while she looked at each of her friends as if preparing her mind. Then without further ado,

"I told Liana-chan."

Silence…

The friends looked at each other in surprise.

"A-About…Allen-kun?"

"So you decided to tell her?"

"Hn."

Komui sighed from his position and leaned on his chair.

"A tough decision." He muttered then smiled again at his sister. "I'm glad you told her."

"Ne, how did she react Lenalee-chan?"

"Was she happy? Or did she cry?"

Lenalee chuckled at Miranda and Crowley's eagerness.

"She's happy I told her. She did cry for a bit…but she's not that sad about it."

She wasn't surprised when Miranda and Crowley started tearing up. Kanda was still his usual stoic self but managed to give her a small smirk while Lavi was grinning more widely as usual.

"-sniff sniff-….finally….Liana-chan knows…I'm so happy for her…"

"-sniff-…come back soon Allen-kun!...your daughter's waiting for you!"

"Hey, I can understand Miranda…but isn't that overreacting Krory-kins?"

"You don't understand Lavi-kun!...–sniff-… I'm just too happy for Liana-chan!"

"You're such a softie Krory-kins~!"

"S-Shut up…."

"Tch. Stop it you two."

Lenalee giggled as she comforted Miranda and Crowley.

"Thank you for understanding. I'm glad you accepted my decision."

"It's nothing Lenalee-chan." Miranda replied after another sniff. "It's about time you tell her anyway."

Crowley nodded. "She's right Lenalee. Actually, we really want you to tell her but we don't want to force you…"

"Really?" the female exorcist raised her brows in surprise. "I didn't know…"

"It's alright. You're her mother anyway so the decision is still yours." Lavi added with a shrug. "Now our only problem is to keep this a secret from the Central Administration."

Komui nodded after hearing Lavi's statement.

"We have to make the Central believe that Liana-chan is still clueless about her father. Lenalee, did you tell her that Allen is supposed to be a secret?"

The Chinese woman nodded. "I've instructed her not to tell anyone rather than us. I'm sure she'll obey what she's been told."

"Good. We also have to keep this a secret from Officer Lucille and Gerald. Although they're friends, they're still associated with the Central."

"I agree." Lavi added with a serious glance at the supervisor. "Besides, they always have assistants following them. There's a high chance one of those people might know if we told Officer Lucille."

"That's right." Komui glanced at his sister again.

"You should also start explaining to Liana-chan about Edea. That way, she'll know who the real enemy is and when the time comes, help her father in battle. She had to know the true nature of an exorcist's job."

Lenalee tensed slightly at the words "battle" and "true nature of an exorcist's job". She hadn't thought that further about her daughter's future. It didn't really sink in her that one day, in the very near future, Liana would be really risking her life to fight the akuma and the Noah.

"Lenalee?"

But her daughter already made a decision and she, as her mother, had agreed to it. The only thing she could do now was to support her fully in what she wanted to do. Danger would always come in their way. She just had to protect her daughter while her girl still can't fight by herself.

"I'll do that." She answered with determination. "I'll explain to her everything she needed to know."

Komui nodded. "Good. Even if she hadn't started training yet, she had to be ready like everyone else."

-/-/-

-/-/-

Silver met silver as the Noah stared at his host inside the mirror.

"So, what's your decision Walker?"

The exorcist only stared back. After all the questions and explanations, he was still torn between choosing to go with the fourteenth's plan or wait until he himself can break free from his curse. Yet, he knew it was useless to even think about it. It was already obvious that he had no choice over the matter. All of his queries were answered by the Noah that it seemed he didn't have any right to complain and contemplate any longer.

He sighed and scratched his head in irritation. Before he can come to a conclusion, he needed to confirm something very important.

He narrowed his eyes at his other self.

"I need proof."

The 14th stared at him for a moment then nodded.

"Proof that I will not betray you? I understand."

He shrugged. "But I'm sorry, I can't give anything concrete to prove to you that I'm sincere."

The answer of the Noah made the exorcist sigh in slight disappointment.

"Then I won't feel at ease. I can never give you an answer if I'm not at ease."

"I see. Then I can only tell you this…" the musician started with a small smile.

"After your war with Edea, ask Cross Marian to seal me again. Since I can't leave your body before you die, you better make him cast a more powerful seal so that I won't be disturbed by the likes of Edea anymore. That way, you can have your body while I peacefully wait here until your death."

Allen didn't answer right away. He just watched the Noah watch him back. He was trying to figure out if he was serious about what he said, and it was rater irking for him since the 14th was sporting the same smile he lets out whenever he wanted to assure someone. It was like looking at his older self.

"Hmm…"

The Noah noticed the unrelenting stare given to him by the exorcist and felt he had to give up for now. It was clear that Allen can't give a clear answer yet and he understood that. His body, his life, the lives of his family were at risk. And given _his_ reputation as the homicidal being that made the young man almost kill the woman he loved, he completely understood Allen's deep uncertainty.

He stood from the piano chair.

"I'll give you time to think. But let me remind you that time's running up. You have to decide soon."

A smirk.

"Death by saving the ones you love, or death by not doing anything at all? Either way is fine with me."

At that, he vanished. Allen grunted then closed his eyes to think.

-/-/-

-/-/-

She looked at her left and right, and even behind her before Liana grinned and placed her hand on top of the large crack on the _door_.

As what happened the other night, it opened after confirming her identity. She grinned wider then arranged the small knapsack on her back before going in and closing the door before some curious "ghost hunters" could catch her going inside the mystery room.

She hummed a small tune as she skipped through the dark hallway. It was about 2:00 in the morning when she left her room to go outside and visit her dad again. She vaguely remembered her mother telling her that they had to come together if she wanted to visit, but Lenalee planned to go next week. Of course she couldn't wait for the coming week to arrive in order for her to visit her father so even without her mother, she ventured into the lateness of the night.

She stuck her tongue out and lightly hit her head with her small fist. She's becoming more and more of a disobedient child lately. Maybe she should just go back and sleep like what her mother was expecting her to do?

But that she can't do. What's wrong with wanting to see your daddy after many, _many_ years?

Besides, it's not like she's doing something _bad_ right?

She tiptoed as she reached out to hold the doorknob. With a careful twist, the room was opened and she was greeted by the familiar beeping of the machines inside, and the slight coldness that was brought in by the air conditioner.

She skipped towards the capsule and sat beside it while taking the knapsack off her back. She hummed as she opened the bag to reveal snacks, a blanket and an alarm clock.

"Which one should I open first?"

She said as she took out the snacks. She blinked at the five large-sized plastic bags in front of her.

"Hmm…"

The bags all looked so tempting that she suddenly had the urge to open them all and eat them all at once. But then, she remembered what her okaa-san said…

"_A lady should eat slowly and properly."_

She sweatdropped. She always admired how her mother was so lady-like so she asked Lenalee to teach her how to be a lady too. Since her mother always noticed how she would gobble up everything when it came to food, that was the first advice her okaa-san gave to her.

"_He's also the biggest glutton! He can eat mountains of food if he's hungry, and never got fat after that."_

She suddenly blushed when she remembered what her uncle Lavi said about her dad. If she can't be as graceful as her mom when it came to eating, did that mean she was more like her father when it came to those kinds of things?

Thinking that she had something similar with her daddy aside from the color of her eyes made her all giddy, with a larger blush of pink forming on her cheeks. If she had at least one similar trait with her father, did that also mean that she can be a strong person like how Lavi-ji described he was? That she can be someone who can protect the ones she cherished?

The thought made her excited so she ignored her snacks for a moment and whipped her head towards the capsule, as if expecting something or _someone_ to give her more encouragement. But then, what greeted her was the beeping of the machines again.

She sighed.

"Ne…" she whispered as she went closer and leaned her head on the capsule with her arms underneath her chin.

"When are you gonna wake up…dad?"

She sniffed in an attempt to fight back tears from forming on her eyes. The capsule was cold on her skin that it seemed like it was a coffin. She closed her eyes and told herself in her mind that it wasn't, and her dad's just sleeping inside.

Soon, the warmth from her body had lessened the coldness from where she leaned her arms. The cold was near gone and was replaced by a comfortable heat, a heat enough to make her feel so cozy. She closed her eyes then with a small smile. With the warmth emitting from both her body and the capsule, maybe she'll dream of her dad again…

-/-/-

-/-/-

He looked up to the blue sky as the wind gently blew his white hair this way and that, also bringing along the soft scent of the flowers all around him on an endless stretch of green.

"I've been gone for almost half a day…"'

He whispered to himself as he looked down from the sky and closed his eyes. He said he'd give Allen enough time to think about his proposition, but it seemed he needed to force a decision out of him now. The strange pulsating of his heartbeat can only mean one thing. His _mother_, Edea…he can feel her presence stronger than before.

It can only mean one thing.

His brows narrowed at that. The time's not enough. On top of that, the "key" they needed in order for Allen to take over his body was still not there. If they can't find the key, even if his host agreed to break the seal, everything would be futile.

And he'd been waiting for six years. He had given Walker's friends six years to bring the key. But where was it? Surely, they could have…

BA-THUMP.

He suddenly opened his eyes.

He focused his gaze on the far horizon, at the part of their inner world where the sky met the green of nature. And then he saw it. He saw what he was looking for.

He smirked as a flicker of light appeared near the middle of the horizon, just enough to convince him that it was not his imagination.

"At last, you finally came."

* * *

**AN**: OMG…did I see it right? Did this fic just reach 300 reviews? O.O

-_sniff sniff_- Oh my gosh, you guys have no idea how much happy I am to get this much feedback from you…I never imagined this fic to receive so much reviews….thank you so much! T.T

And since I'm pretty speechless right now, I'll just have to give each of you some cookies~! XD

**addenza**

**M. Cutie **(I somehow have a feeling I'll be terribly shy if I read your PM's with CE…XD But anyway, a bazillion thanks for liking this fic!...and I also get hyper whenever I eat chocolate…^^)

**The 14th Musician**

**kupoLUVS-ORANGEE**

**Antoinette Blue**

**glon morski**

**Coralian Exorcist **(Oh my, thanks for the compliments…and I'm also losing confidence whenever I read other fics…idk…maybe that's how it goes with us writer-wannabes, ne? ;)

**Sakra-chan**

**dark-Yuuki-sama**

**Ashka-chan**

**zutarababe**

**waterlit**

**yukihane**

**Ms. Lightfairyprincess**

**Chocolate and caramel **

**UNTensaZangetsu**

**Ancestor's Dragon**

**Weaver Chance**

**ShaeraHaek**

**Miranda Kliese **(Liana's innocence to be the instrument to wake Allen up? Hmm…you just have to wait and see….XD)

**Ghoul Girl**

**Jesse**

**Mystjerne**

**reneesme1418**

**marygrace c. tolentino **(O.O yup, I'm a true-blooded mapuan…hehehe…argh…XD)

**DevineEssence**

**Grawzilla **(Wow, thanks for the long review! I appreciate it very much!)

And to you READERS, thanks a bunch as usual~!

By the way, I apologize for not being able to post this in one week's time like what I told you guys last chapter. We have some internet problems here so I only got to post this now. XD

But still, you can expect the next chap _very soon_…ja ne! ^^


	24. The Betrayal

Standard Disclaimer Applied.

**Recap:** Liana finally learns about her father from Lavi. Meanwhile in Allen's sub consciousness, the 14th was trying to convince him to break Cross Marian's seal – which is the only way to break Edea's curse. Allen refused since it will also set the 14th free, yet the Noah won't give up. He offered to tell Edea's weaknesses if Allen willingly breaks his master's seal. As Allen makes his decision, Liana fell asleep beside his life capsule – just in time when the 14th recognized a sign from the "key" he needed.

* * *

So, where the heck was she?

The only things her eyes could see were the very, _very _vast collection of flowers beneath her feet and the soft pastel blue sky above her head.

Liana only blinked in confusion as she felt the comforting feeling of the grass and flowers underneath her feet as if it was a soft carpet, and the equally comfortable feeling that the gentle wind brought while it made contact with her skin. Indeed, everything around her was beautiful, but where exactly was she?

'_Probably a dream…'_ she mused.

She stood there staring at the pretty flowers and the soft sky until she saw a sparkle of light in the far horizon.

"What's that?"

She asked herself while her eyes narrowed in curiosity. The spark of light was there again, as if calling her to come to wherever it was. Of course she hesitated first. Although she was highly curious, what if that spark was actually a warning of danger or something?

Then suddenly, as if her thoughts were actually heard by someone out there, the endless stretch of flowers slowly started to fade from the horizon. She widened her eyes in surprise and watched as a cliff appeared as a replacement for the green that vanished. She hesitated for a moment as she took a moment to decide if she should go and see what else was there or just stay where she was. But there was nothing better to do, and the spark was becoming stronger as the seconds passed.

A few more moments of hesitation and she finally ran towards the edge of the cliff. As she neared the edge, a long stretch of a hanging bridge appeared in the middle of the cliff. It was the only thing that connects the place where she was to whatever it was on the other side. The only thing she needed to do was to cross the bridge and see what's waiting for her beyond.

So…should she or should she not?

She felt nervous while staring at the other side of the landscape, unsure if she should really venture further from where she was standing. And the sparkling light was there again, shimmering in the sky as if it was some kind of a sign. It was gesturing her to move forward.

"Alright." She muttered to herself with a determined face. She took a deep breath to calm herself then nodded.

"Let's go!"

"Liana?"

Suddenly, the world around her started to vanish before she could even take a step towards the bridge. Then while she was still confused, a force pulled her out from there. The next thing she knew, she was opening her eyes to realize she was sleeping beside her father's capsule…and her mom was standing at the doorway with her hands on her hips. Her beloved kaa-san was sporting a really annoyed expression on her face.

"Liana!"

Lenalee called with a frown before closing the door behind her and entering the room.

"I knew it! What's the meaning of this?"

The little girl rubbed her eyes from sleepiness then gave her mother a sheepish grin.

"Sorry mommy." She said with caution. "I just want to see daddy."

Lenalee sighed at the expected answer then walked towards her daughter. She reached and held the girl's arm and pulled her up to standing position.

"Ok, that's enough. Let's get out now."

"Eh? But I want to be here!" Liana whined.

"I already told you we'll come visit next week right? Why are you so impatient?"

"Mommy…."

The girl gently pulled her hand away from her mother's as she stepped back towards the capsule. The exorcist sighed yet again and turned to see her child staring at her with a cute pout and pleading eyes. It was so adorable that Lenalee almost gave in, but she reminded herself of the current situation.

"Tell me why you want to be here."

Liana smiled. "I want to give dad some company here that's why!"

"Company?"

"Uh-huh! I bet he's all lonely and cold here just by himself…so I thought I should stay here to keep him warm."

"So you plan to stay the whole night?"

"Yeah!"

Before Lenalee could disagree any further, Liana suddenly grabbed the knapsack a foot away from her and opened it to show the contents. The mother raised her brows when she saw packs of junk food, a blanket, and an alarm clock.

"Look mommy!" Liana said as she pulled out the things from her bag. "I have food here so I can eat if I become hungry. I won't feel cold too b'cause I have my blanket…"

She took out her pink, rabbit-inspired alarm clock (courtesy of Komui) and showed it to her mother.

"And I have my alarm clock here! It's set to 3:00 a.m. so I'll wake up before everyone gets up!"

A big grin appeared on the girl's face while holding the clock up so Lenalee can see it clearly. Lenalee blinked for a few times before reaching out to get the alarm from her daughter's hand and flipped it to its back to check if it was really set to the time Lia specified. She sighed when it was indeed set to ring at 3 a.m. and returned it to the girl.

"I told you mommy! I'll wake up when I hear it alarm!"

"Hmm…"

Mother and daughter stared at each other more. Liana was smiling so widely it wasn't hard to see a somewhat illusion of twinkles and flowers around her. Lenalee sighed yet again when she finally got what it's all about. No use arguing to a kid who's determined to get what she wanted.

"Alright." She stated with a helpless smile. "Promise me you'll really get out at 3 ok?"

Her daughter almost squealed then walked up to hug her around her legs.

"Promise! Thanks mommy!"

"Sure. I'll leave you here now Lia-chan. You'll manage by yourself right?"

"Yup!"

"Ok then."

Liana watched Lenalee's back as she proceeded to the door. She smiled when the exorcist glanced back to her with a bit of a concerned look, making her grin widely and wave her hand at her mother. Lenalee sighed yet again and waved back with a smile. After the door was closed, the petite girl let out a happy "Yes!" before skipping towards the capsule. Grabbing her blanket, she returned to her previous position.

-/-/-

-/-/-

He frowned when the spark was gone, and to think it was becoming larger and larger a moment ago, as if implying that the "key" was nearing. He sighed in disappointment since it was such a good chance, but knew it wasn't the last. He would surely see the key very soon.

With that thought, he steadily made his way to a door in the middle of the field of flowers – just a few meters away from where he was. He had been gone for quite some time and Walker should be able to come up with a decision now. He wouldn't want to resort to blackmail or any forceful methods just to get his other self to agree, especially since he _almost_ got his trust already.

When he opened the door, he stepped into the familiar piano room before closing it and letting it disappear. Then without any word, he turned to the wall of glass and stared at his reflection for a few seconds.

"Have you made your decision?"

His reflection was distorted and was replaced by Allen who was still in his previous form from where he was left to think, with the long white hair falling down to hide his face and the expression he's making. The exorcist looked up to see the Noah staring at him expectantly despite the apathetic eyes, while his face was half-serious and half-weary. His silver eyes shifted for a couple of times as if analyzing further before he sighed and nodded.

Allen stood up from the piano chair and reached inside his coat, retrieving the small cross from the inside pocket. The 14th smiled.

"I see."

The Noah walked nearer towards the reflection.

"The time's about right for your decision. I just saw the force that will help you get out of here. We'll just have to wait for it to appear again."

Allen didn't react for a few seconds before narrowing his eyes and holding the cross up so that the 14th can see it.

"What will happen after this?"

"You will automatically be absorbed into my consciousness." He answered almost immediately.

"We will become two persons in one body, but only until we exit the wall. Half will be yours and the other half will be mine, but I will have the control over the body and you will be asleep since you are the one to be absorbed. The first half that exits the wall will take over your body in the real world while the other half will be left behind."

He gave the exorcist a small smile.

"Simply put, your half should be the first one to exit the wall in order for you to regain control over your body. We'll need the key in order to do that."

Allen understood but was slightly irritated with the small amused tone in the 14th's voice. He nodded then clenched the cross in his hand as if preparing to break it.

"Will I be able to talk to you again?"

"Since Cross Marian's seal will be gone by then, you can talk to me as freely as you want. My full powers will also be available, so it's obvious that you will be powered up."

Silence.

"So, are you going to do it or not?"

The two men stared at each other before the exorcist relaxed his grip on the cross.

"Remember our deal, Neah."

Then with one swift motion, he broke it in half between his fingers, letting the remains fall to the floor. The 14th nodded in approval.

"Of course. You should keep your end of our deal too, Allen Walker."

The glass around him shattered. The two simultaneously raised their hands to reach out to each other and as their fingers touched, Allen's form vanished before the glass was completely destroyed.

-/-/-

-/-/-

The bridge was still there when she returned to that endless field of flowers. But unlike last time, she immediately crossed it since the spark she saw was bigger than before, and was calling to her so much she just needed to see what it was that's waiting for her at the other side of the bridge.

Of course she was nervous, and frightened. What if it was an akuma or a worse kind of enemy awaiting for her there? Just the thought of having to face their long time enemy would send a sharp shiver down her spine and she can almost feel her legs grow numb. But then she remembered she was going to be an exorcist. If she's easily frightened, what right did she have to claim to protect her family?

'_I can do this.'_ she thought as she gathered courage.

A few more steps and she already arrived at the other side of the cliff, a few drops of sweat trickling down her temples as a sign of her still lingering nervousness. She blinked and cautiously looked around with her arms curled in front of her defensively, as if expecting something to appear or jump at her. It didn't really help that what she saw was another field of pretty flowers, and the sky was as blue as ever like a fine clear day.

She felt suspicious. What was the weird flicker of light before anyway? But what if there wasn't really anything unusual in this other side of the cliff? Then was that flicker of light merely an illusion?

And to think that everything was just a dream of hers….

"At last, you came."

Liana gasped and looked around her. Her heart was beating fast and she felt even more nervous, the fright she almost killed swiftly crawling into her. She blinked when she saw nothing peculiar and wondered if the voice was just her imagination.

"I'm here."

She tensed, wiped the sudden tears that formed on her eyes, and turned around. Her body froze at what she saw.

It was a man, body clothed in a long white tattered cape. His short white hair with black streaks was flowing with the wind while his eyes were covered by a silver-plated clown-like mask. His lips were curled up in a small smile.

"Don't be frightened little one. I'm not an enemy."

Although he said that, Liana still felt afraid. The man was standing at least a meter from her, and his appearance was anything but friendly. Besides, why should she trust him right away when it was the first time she saw him?

Then she remembered it was all just a dream.

'_Surely, I wouldn't want anything bad happening in my dream right?'_ she tried consoling herself.

But what if this was a nightmare?

Her thoughts were put to a halt when the man sighed, scratched his head and gave her another smile. It was gentler than the first and somehow, she felt warm inside. She blushed when she realized what she was thinking and shook her head to take away those thoughts.

"U..umm…" she mumbled cautiously with closed eyes.

"W-who are you? Why are you in my dream?"

Silence answered her for a few moments until she heard rustling from the leaves. She opened her eyes and saw that he had crouched down to her eye level, as if to make his presence less domineering. His face was still sporting the gentle smile.

"I'm here because I want to meet you." He answered with a low yet gentle voice.

"I'm your father's friend, and I want to meet you because your father needs your help."

What the man said made the little girl surprised. Her father's friend? And her dad needs her help? The thought of her father needing her help took all the fear from her away, and instead was replaced with worry. Was her father in danger? Was his curse becoming worse?

Besides, was _he_ even telling the truth?

But as she watched the man smile at her kindly, she felt the warmth growing into her again. And although she can't completely see his face through that mask, something's telling her she could…or rather, she _had_ to trust that man.

Also, the man had this familiar aura with him. As if…she had met him a long time ago.

She gulped and stared at him more, fists clenching on her clothes then relaxing after a few seconds. She summoned her courage and took a step forward.

"A-Are you telling the truth? Does daddy really need my help?"

The man never let go of his smile as he nodded at her questions.

"It's true little one. You can think of me as your father's representative."

"Daddy's…representative?"

"Yes." He gave her a signal with his hand as if calling her.

"Now why don't you come closer so we could talk more comfortably?"

Liana hesitated again before nodding and taking another step towards him. Her eyes were narrowed in determination and a somewhat forced bravery or confidence. It was all just a dream anyway. If the man turned out to be something far from what she's been feeling, then she just had to wake herself up from her sleep… or maybe activate her innocence and defeat the enemy, if the said innocence would finally allow her to.

She almost wanted the second option to happen, but then shook the thought off from her head. She'll just think about it when the time came. She added another step.

The man nodded with relief and gave her a grin.

"What's your name, little girl?"

Although the nervousness was still there, the Destroyer of Time's daughter managed to give back a smile.

"It's Liana, mister."

-/-/-

-/-/-

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

It was the fifth scream coming from the room at the basement. The agony from the loud cry was enough to make any normal person stop and be horrified, but the occupants of the house didn't seem to care.

"Hey, Aria. Can I go there now? It sounds like they're having some real fun…"

"You can't, Miss Diana. You haven't finished your homework yet."

"Argh. If only I was reborn into an adult I wouldn't have to suffer again like this."

"Studies are important, miss Diana."

A sigh. "How many times did I hear it since I was with the Earl?"

Another loud scream rang through the house, interrupting the conversation between the akuma cat sitting on the desk and the now 16-year-old Noah girl named Diana. The teen sighed and rested her head on her arms, her long blonde hair falling to her shoulders.

"Damn. I want to see the transformation _so_ badly."

"After homework, miss Diana."

"It's Dan, you idiot cat. How many times do have to tell you?"

Aria was about to say something, but she stopped and jumped to the floor. Dan watched curiously as the cat transformed into a maid and started smoothening her skirt. The Noah raised an eyebrow.

"What? Going to cook something now?"

"No, miss. The mistress and Lady Heloise are here."

Dan's face lit up. "Really? I want to fetch them!"

Before the maid could stop the teen, Dan was already running out of the door. Aria can hear Dan's cheery voice from the outside and walked out until the doorway to greet her master. She waited for Dan to pull her master towards the door, Heloise walking behind them.

She immediately bowed when the tall aristocratic woman stopped in front of her.

"Welcome Edea-sama, Heloise-sama."

Edea smiled down at the akuma maid and patted Dan's head, as if asking her to let go of her hand already. Dan obliged and pulled away with a grin.

"I was waiting for you two! Let's go see Skin Boric now, mama!"

The noble woman only smiled at her daughter before stepping in with her female companion. Heloise thanked the akuma maid and stepped into the house too.

"Now, now, no need to be so impatient Diana." Edea spoke after she handed her coat to the maid. She turned to the theatre actress.

"Heloise."

"Yes, Edea-sama?"

"Have you contacted the others?"

The Noah nodded.

"Yes, mistress. They all said they'll rush here soon."

"Good."

Diana was about to speak when the smell of blood flooded the room. The women diverted their gazes to the living room entrance to see Xig, the new Noah of Tyki Mikk, standing with a slacked posture. He sighed and tousled his hair a bit as if tired. But he didn't make a move on wiping out the smudges of the crimson liquid off his cheeks and his clothes.

The sight of blood made the three females widen their eyes in sheer delight. Although Heloise tried to hide it with a blank expression, it was obvious she liked the view. Dan was more open to her reaction since she giggled and ran up to Xig immediately. Almost a head shorter than him now, the teenage girl tip-toed and slowly licked off the red off his stained cheek. The man only raised an eyebrow and watched as the girl wetted her lips with the said blood.

"Ooohh. It's Skin Bolic alright."

"That's a creepy way of familiarizing yourself with your family you know."

"I don't want to hear that from someone who just came from a blood bath."

Xig only sighed and let the girl laugh and make fun of him. He nodded at Heloise to acknowledge her presence and finally faced the head of the family, his face turning into serious mode. Edea smiled again.

"Judging your appearance, it seemed the transformation took an unexpected turn."

The statement made the male Noah shrug.

"Well, the dude's mind was too strong. I had to be more brutal to make sure."

"Hmm. If it takes more brutality to awaken your brother then why not?"

She smiled more, turned around, and picked up a rose from a nearby vase. The other Noah noticed the significant change of aura from their mother. It was obvious she was greatly delighted and of course they knew why. Finally…

Their family's complete.

"Now that everyone's awakened," Xig started with a small smirk, excitement clear in his eyes. "What's the next plan Boss?"

"Hmm…" Edea pretended to think. "How about taking a look if the exorcists are doing well?"

Dan was suddenly sticking out her tongue as if displeased while Xig and Heloise looked at each other before sighing. The man scratched his head.

"Are we killing some random exorcists again?"

"Ne mama, give us a more exciting job will you?"

The older woman laughed and waved her hand to tell them they got it all wrong. Her other hand was still holding the red rose.

"Let me finish first, my dears. We'll go and check on our little friends. But let's do it more politely."

She raised her hand holding the rose then carefully, gracefully positioned it on her nose to let herself savor the scent of the flower.

"We'll be greeting them personally, in a big banquet where everyone is invited."

"A banquet?"

"Yes, a banquet. Or to put it more specifically…." Edea twirled the flower as if amused. "…a welcome party."

There was a bit of silence between the family members as they tried to think what their mistress meant. Then a passing feeling of mixed chill and familiarity went through them. Xig, Diana, and Heloise stared at the smiling face of their mother, eyes wide in surprise.

"You mean…?" Dan was the first to recover. Edea smiled more.

"Yes." She giggled, crushed the flower in her hand, and threw the petals around them.

"We'll be welcoming your long lost brother!"

Then Edea, the mother of the Noah, began laughing. For normal people, it would look like she was a mad woman, but the other Noah didn't care. They were all _mad _anyway, mad for seeking revenge on the God they all hated. And it's a good thing for them.

Xig smirked. So the "black sheep" of the family is finally returning home? If their mother can laugh like that, it meant their…brother's definitely coming back. Who knew a son better than a mother anyway?

"'So when's the big surprise?"

He asked when Edea's laughter died down. The noblewoman turned to face all of them, and only gave out a small smirk.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Ouch!"

Liana was immediately taken aback and almost collapsed on the ground when she mysteriously bumped into something while she neared the man who claimed to be her father's "representative". The Noah stood up in slight alarm and watched the little girl as she rubbed her forehead.

"Are you alright, Liana?"

The girl rubbed her head a few more times and wiped some impending tears before she nodded and faced the man again.

"I'm fine mister. It…it doesn't really hurt."

The 14th stared at her face with amusement. The girl was obviously hurt from the impact but was trying to stop herself from at least letting out a cry of pain. The expression on her face didn't help much to hide what she really felt though. He smiled.

"Quite the brave little one, I see."

A pink blush was immediately present on Liana's cheeks upon hearing the compliment. She pouted a little and didn't say anything as she looked down to lessen her embarrassment. The 14th only smiled more before crouching down again. More time shouldn't be wasted. He needed to act now.

"I'm sorry I failed to tell you sooner, but an invisible wall is standing in between us Liana-chan."

The petite girl was immediately listening. "An invisible wall?"

"Yes, child."

Liana was still a bit confused so she attempted to go nearer to him again, but this time with slow and careful steps. Her hand was outstretched as if to see if there really was something separating them in between.

Her eyes widened a bit when upon her third step, her fingers touched something hard and not visible to her eyes. She let her fingers slide down to feel the texture of what she touched, only to find it smooth. More amazed, she curled her fingers to form a fist and knocked in front of her a few times. The wall produced a sound similar to a glass.

"Wow. A glass wall?"

The Noah nodded. "It prevents me from going out."

"Eh? So you're trapped?"

"Yes."

Liana blinked then narrowed her eyes in concern.

"Why?"

The 14th took a moment of silence as if preparing himself, then started speaking again.

"I presume you knew the curse on your father?"

Liana nodded. "Mommy told me."

"Good. The enemy, the same one who cursed your father, was also the one who trapped me here."

The man's face suddenly turned serious, his eyes boring straight into the girl's innocent orbs. Liana felt tensed with the stare but as she continued to stare back at him, she felt she needed to listen. It was as if what the man's about to tell was crucial.

Seeing her reaction, the Noah grew more confident and continued his explanation.

"Me and your father are connected. I know everything about him ever since he…first acquired his innocence. So I know a lot about your mother, Lenalee, as well as his other friends."

The quick mention of her okaa-san was enough to lit up Liana's face in half wonder and excitement. Then a thought came to her. If the man knew about her mother and her uncles and aunts, did that mean…

"So you're like my _uncle_ too? Just like uncle Komui, uncle Lavi and uncle Kanda?"

Silence…

It was the 14th's turn to be surprised. Him? An "uncle"? He was expecting something like a "comrade" or a "companion", but an uncle?

The ring of the word attached to his name sent a silent laugh on his part. It sounded so bizarre and awkward that he let himself smile for a moment. He never thought he could be considered an "uncle" in his whole life. Would Walker even allow him to be a father-figure to his little girl?

Now that he thought about it, Walker was technically his "nephew" since his brother adopted the boy years ago. Did that mean he now has a father-daughter tandem of nephew and niece?

Finally, he let himself lighten up for another moment and laughed a few times. Oh how he missed that sound coming from himself! How many decades had it been since he last laughed?

"Mister?"

"Yes, yes…" he muttered to her after he recovered from his amusement. A big smile remained on his lips.

"You can consider me as an uncle, since I have a close connection with your father."

"Oh…" Liana answered with a huge sigh of relief. "Why didn't you tell me sooner, uncle…umm…"

"Neah. My name is Neah."

"Uncle Neah!" she called with a grin.

"That's right. Anyway, since me and your father are closely related, when he was put to a curse, I was trapped here at the same time and can only communicate through dreams." The Noah continued when he was again aware of the running time.

Liana's mouth formed an "o" at what he said. So that was the reason why she was seeing him in her dream! The 14th's eyes narrowed.

"If I don't get out of here, I won't be able to help your father."

His last statement made the girl gasp a little. He was expecting her to be panicking or be confused, just like how any other child would react upon knowing an emergency situation. But instead of seeing those, he was surprised at the determined spark in the girl's eyes. He watched as she nodded and stomped her foot as if she's getting ready for something.

Her "uncle Neah" appeared to her in her dream because of that wasn't it? He wanted her to help him and her dad. She won't hesitate anymore then. Her chance to finally be of use has arrived.

"Ok!" she curled her fingers into fists. "Then I'll help you get out, uncle Neah!"

She started pounding on the glass wall with all her might. She winced at the pain upon the first impact but didn't stop pounding her little fists on the wall. She even started kicking to add more pressure and strength on her efforts.

"Just you wait, uncle! I'll get you out of here!"

The 14th watched in surprise for a few seconds until he shook his head and went closer to the wall.

"Please stop, child. You will only hurt yourself."

The girl didn't stop though.

"There's a different way for me to get out. And you are the only one who can do it."

Liana finally stopped her pounding then. She huffed a few moments as if tired then nodded back to the man, still with the determined face.

"I'll do my best uncle! What should I do?"

-/-/-

-/-/-

Komui glanced up at the clock then collapsed back to his desk before reaching out to grab his coffee mug at the front edge of his table. He mumbled something in annoyance when his hand was met with huge stacks of documents, getting in between his beloved coffee and his poor overworked self.

He sighed and rose up his hand high in the air.

"Reever!"

The Australian saw what the supervisor was doing so he took the coffee canister beside him and made his way to the desk. He wasn't amused as he poured the bitter liquid on the rabbit-designed mug of the Chinese man.

"Drink that up and get back to work, you lazy man."

"That's harsh Reever! I was working very diligently a long time ago!"

"Yeah right. Then why do these documents remained unsigned?"

"I was only taking a short break!"

"This is the 10th time you said that."

Komui didn't reply any longer as he sat up and grabbed his new filled mug. He sipped the black liquid and gave out an "Ahh!" before wiping his mouth with a dainty pink handkerchief – designed with a few chibi faces of girls resembling Lenalee and Liana.

"I remember the times when Lenalee was the one pouring coffee in my mug…Oh how I missed those days~…"

"Get back to work!"

Suddenly, the door to the office burst open and in came Johnny who didn't even stop from his running and immediately went to the surveillance equipment located near Komui's desk. The other two men watched him push buttons and turn on the monitor.

"Johnny! What's gotten into you?" Reever asked. The scientist only pointed to the screen.

"Just watch! This is taken just a few minutes ago!"

Static was the first thing they saw at the monitor before it cleared to reveal footage of the underground river pathway of the headquarters. Reever went beside Johnny to get a closer look while Komui just leaned forward from his desk.

For a few seconds, there was nothing significant happening until a finder appeared by the staircase carrying a lamp. He standing there for a few seconds before a boat arrived through the water. The finder approached the man, who was another finder, and was helping him out of the boat when the first man gasped and collapsed on the cemented floor, his blood pooling around him. Then before they could watch what happened next, there was a chaos of static again until the screen blacked out.

"What…the hell?"

Reever blurted at the sight of murder caught in the camera. Komui was also shocked at the scene, never had he seen or even heard of a member of the Order killing a comrade just like that. It sent shivers down his spine at the thought of hatred and murderous intent present within the members of their organization, and he could not think of a reason why someone who swore to serve God could do such a thing. Except…

His eyes widened more at an idea striking him. Except, if that finder was a…

"The culprit is Dan Barryn. He's been serving the Order since two years ago and was dispatched in a locating mission a week ago. He was scheduled to arrive today."

Reever nodded at Johnny despite the nervousness. "But why did he commit such a –

"Have you told the exorcists about it?"

Komui suddenly cut in, face contorted with a somewhat frustrated expression.

"No." Johnny replied with a shake of his head. "I don't think I should tell them, since it's not akuma related."

"Alert them now." The Chinese ordered. "Tell them to prepare for battle."

The other two men stared at him in slight bewilderment.

"But why –

BOOM!

They all turned to the east in a sudden jerk. Their bodies tensed at the sudden noise of a mid-powerful explosion, and dread came rushing in them in a fast rate. Johnny gulped.

"W-What is that?"

Komui gripped the edges of his desk so tightly his knuckles almost turned to white.

"Alert everyone!" he narrowed his eyes. "We're under an akuma attack."

The two scientists turned to him. "What? Are you sure – "

The light on the desk suddenly turned red and a high-pitched sound rang through the room, then a robotized female voice from the computer confirmed Komui's suspicions.

"Danger. Akuma detected at North building. Proceeding to Code Red. Waiting for a confirmation."

At the mechanized message, Reever and Johnny didn't waste another second and quickly stormed out of the room. Komui sighed a bit then pushed a button from the keyboard.

"Proceed to Code Red."

Now the next thing to do was to gather the exorcists.

-/-/-

-/-/-

Lenalee sighed as she walked through the silent hallways. She replayed the recent events that happened inside the secret room of Allen, causing another sigh to escape from her lips upon remembering her daughter's stubbornness. Since when did her little girl become like that?

"Am I that stubborn when I was a kid?"

She whispered to herself with slight wonder. Remembering those horrible times during her first years in the Order made her a bit uncomfortable. But she did put a bit of a fight back then – with all her refusal to cooperate willingly and other kinds of rebellions possible with a little girl (she can still remember clearly how they would tie her up in her bed just to prevent her from committing suicide).

Could she consider her behavior long before as stubborn then?

Come to think of it, there were times when she refused to be left behind even if she was advised to just let the others do the job. There was also that time during her and Allen's first date, the battle against Road, the night during her 21'st birthday…and a lot more things that happened.

A small smile graced her lips. So she was also the stubborn one eh? Well, if she was in her daughter's shoes, she would do the same thing too. After all, finally learning about your missing father was a joyous and exciting thing. She shouldn't have wondered why Liana was there in the first place. Her little girl might be thinking that by staying there all night and close to her father's cold capsule, she might be able to send her warmth and love. It might remind him that she's there, and there's a daughter waiting for him when he wakes up.

Such a thought made her stop for a moment in her tracks. Oh, how long will Allen make them wait? His absence since 6 years ago was already slowly killing her inside, what more now when their child already knew about him? Seeing and watching their Liana growing up hoping for the day of his return was making her more pained. It would always make her feel she didn't do enough. Like, if only she fought with him during that time, maybe things would have turned a 180 degrees.

'_Stop it.'_

She forcibly thought then took a deep breath. Right, she should stop thinking depressing thoughts like that. And she's sure, if Allen was hearing what she was thinking, he would surely scold her not to be guilty about what happened in the past. He would definitely tell her to keep moving forward, just like what he had been doing ever since Mana Walker died. It was what made him win over those battles and she should do the same.

That's right. So as soon as tomorrow morning, she should –

BOOM!

She was completely caught off guard and would have collapsed on the floor in a flat thud if she didn't reach out and used her arm as leverage on the wall. The floor was shaking violently for a few seconds before settling down. Then there was smoke. Big, grayish white smoke coming from the first floor.

"Lenalee!"

Lavi and Miranda came running towards her with serious faces, their innocence activated. Seeing the holy weapons made her narrow her eyes and feel dread.

"Don't tell me, an akuma attack?"

The two other exorcists nodded while they watched the Chinese woman activate her dark boots.

"I mean, the akuma are our only enemy right?" Lavi stated. "Unless it's just one of those failed experiments again –

A loud alarm suddenly went through the whole building. Immediately, exorcists and other personnel came out from their rooms, looking at one another in alarm and bewilderment.

"Announcing Code Red. Invasion of akuma confirmed. Prepare for battle immediately."

Hearing the robotized female voice from the hallway speakers were enough to make the newly awakened exorcists to activate their innocence and split up in their assigned groups, just like what they had trained numerous times.

Lenalee spotted someone familiar from the crowd and quickly jumped and landed beside the nervous kid.

"Kiri-kun!" she called. The boy looked up to her with sweat running down his temples. (AN: If you don't remember, Kiri is the newest recruit in the Order from the last chapter. He is assigned to be Kanda's apprentice. )

"Lenalee-dono…" he gulped. "Wha-What's happening? I thought akuma can't enter the Order…"

"Normally, yes." Lavi answered when he and Miranda caught up. "But if it's something as powerful as a level four or a Noah, then mere technology wouldn't be enough."

Miranda hitched her breath. "Lavi-kun, you think the Noah are…?"

"Possibly. Who else could pull off something like this out of nowhere?" the redhead's face turned pensive.

"Only those crazy bastards."

There was a tensed silence between them for a few seconds before Lenalee leaned to the boy. She gently held his arm.

"Kiri-kun. Did you see Kanda? It would be best if you go with him for now."

The boy shook his head.

"I didn't see master. And I don't think he would –

Suddenly, a level one appeared from the smoke. Lenalee and the others were about to attack when Kiri stepped up with the rings on his hand glowing.

"Innocence activate!"

He moved his thumb and a dozen swords appeared in the thin air then came flying towards the akuma. The beast was stabbed in a few places, but it was not enough to kill it. Kiri poised to attack again but the sound of metal against flesh stopped him. Add the fact that the akuma was screaming in pain before it exploded. Lenalee shielded him from the impact.

"You need to exert more effort if you want to kill it."

They all turned to see the Japanese general walking towards them in a confident stride. Kiri's face lit up before Lenalee let him go.

"Master!"

"You're late Yuu!" Lavi teased with a grin. Kanda only glared at him then looked down at his disciple.

"I see you can easily activate your innocence now." He smirked. "Good."

He then looked up to his friends in a slightly bored expression.

"We'll be having a training session with the akuma here. You guys take care of the rest."

The three smirked back then nodded.

"You don't need to remind us!"

No words were exchanged after that as the three went to kill off every lingering akuma they saw. It was pretty easy for them since almost all the akuma are level ones, but that didn't mean they can relax just yet. Just the feeling of a Noah somewhere in their headquarters was enough to make them nervous, especially since the Noah they had encountered so far had been stronger than before. They need to be extra careful.

Lenalee took a deep breath after defeating her 15th akuma. She took the moment to scan her surroundings and see if there was someone who needed help, or if there was something that can give her a clue on where the akuma was coming from. She didn't have enough time though, when she spotted a newcomer having trouble by herself so she quickly went and finished off the akuma for her.

She narrowed her eyes. Although their force was significantly larger than their number in the war years before, it can't be forgotten that most of their exorcists in the present were newcomers who were either still training or who had only been with them since the past months. If there really was a Noah involved, then how should they deal with it? If worse came to worst, they have to evacuated almost all their forces, or at least lead the enemy away from the headquarters. And who should be fighting the assumed Noah?

'_Kanda. Lavi, Crowley, maybe Timothy and Miranda…'_

Her list didn't go long. There were only a few people who can have at least a chance of fighting equal against someone as strong as a Noah or a Level 4. Only a handful, for God's sake.

'_If only the other generals are here!'_

She thought as her senses picked up another akuma nearby. General Tiedoll was nowhere to be found, Cloud Nine was somewhere in America, Cross was missing as usual, and…

She bit her lip as a certain someone appeared on her mind. Of course. How could she forget? The only general who had the biggest chance of defeating the enemy…

She thought of his strong figure. Of his proud innocence. His smile. Then she shook her head to force herself out from sentimentalities. She's doing it again, thinking about him all of a sudden. But it's no time to reminisce especially if she's in a battlefield.

"Lenalee!"

She turned around to see Lavi and Miranda running towards her again.

"What's the matter?"

"The akuma." Miranda started as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "They're all headed to the Southwest building…"

Lenalee narrowed her eyes. "The Southwest? Why?"

"Think about it Lenalee." Lavi interrupted, his face tensed.

"What's hidden in the Southwest building that has a connection with the enemy?"

She paused for a moment then widened her eyes. She stared at her two friends in half shock and half dread.

She remembered. It wasn't just her sleeping fiancé who was there. But also…

"Oh god…" she whispered, her face now contorted with fear.

She grabbed Miranda and Lavi's arms.

"She's there…"

The two started to sweat more. "Who?"

"LIANA! Liana's there! In the Southwest building!"

"WHAT?"

"What's happening here?"

Crowley suddenly landed beside them. He was sporting his aggressive stance as he barred his vampire teeth, akuma blood slightly dripping from his fangs.

"Crow-chan! We need to go to the Southwest area now!"

The vampire nodded. "They're all headed there. So of course we should –

"Lia-chan's in there!"

Crowley tensed then stared at them in disbelief. His eyes then turned to Lenalee before giving her a glare.

"What the hell is your daughter doing there?"

The Chinese woman suddenly stoned then felt ashamed. She started trembling at the thought of her little girl currently endangered. And it will be HER fault if she…if she…

"Damn it! Never mind!" Crowley blurted out when he noticed the Chinese woman shaking.

"Let's go now brats! We can't allow them to hurt _him _and Liana!"

And off went Crowley, savagely killing off the akuma getting in his way. Lavi nodded then faced the two women. He narrowed his eyes when Lenalee was still in a shaking fit and a trance.

"Lenalee!" he yelled to wake her up. But she remained mumbling her girl's name.

He gritted his teeth. "Lena –

SLAP!

His voice died down at the sound of hard contact of skin to skin. He watched as Lenalee stumbled a bit from the impact, slowly reach up to touch her swelling red cheek, then jolt up to glare at the other woman who just slapped her hard in the face.

"Are you alright now?" Miranda asked with a serious face despite the small tears on her eyes. Both Lavi and Lenalee noticed how her hand trembled from the harsh action she just did.

"Lenalee? I'm asking you!"

Said exorcist suddenly felt ashamed again. How could she break down easily like that? How could she act like a fragile little girl when she should have gone straight to where her loved ones are already? How could she have worried her friends when she should have been the one who -

"Yes!" she answered firmly with a nod without diverting her eyes from Miranda.

"I'm sorry. Thank you!"

Miranda nodded then made eye contact with Lavi. The redhead gave her a thumbs-up. He gave Lennalee an understanding look before swinging his innocence on his shoulder.

"Good! Let's go!"

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Komui!"

Jerry rushed inside the office, not even taking a moment to catch his breath. Komui and Reever glanced at him to acknowledge his presence before staring back at the multiple screens in front of them again.

"There's something odd about the akuma…" Jerry started as soon as he reached his superiors.

"Yes we know." Reever answered. "They're all headed to the Southwest building."

Jerry gulped. It was obvious what the purpose of those akuma have for heading straight to the Southwest building, and he can't help but be afraid. He had a very bad feeling about the enemy's motive.

"Komui…" he muttered. "Do you think…"

"There's a high chance." The supervisor answered despite not letting the scientist finish what he was asking.

"It's very possible that this is all about the 14th. But we can't say for sure right now."

"Then what's the next course of action Komui?" Reever interrupted before ticking the screen in front of them that showed the exorcists heading for the Southwest building as well.

Komui narrowed his eyes.

"We will isolate the Southwest building."

The other two men tensed before exchanging a look.

"That's a bit cruel."

The supervisor didn't say a word for a moment.

"That is the safest way. By doing that, we not only trap the enemy there, but we also prevent them from further damaging our headquarters."

"Damn. You're right. " Reever remarked. He turned to face Jerry.

"Call the other scientists. We need to set up the barrier now."

Although hesitant, Jerry nodded then ran off to inform their other comrades. Reever turned back to Komui.

"We'll be using barrier # 3 if that's ok with you. It's that one that lets the exorcists out but completely trapping the akuma."

"Of course." Komui answered with a raised eyebrow. "Did you think I would actually order barrier # 1? You're underestimating me Reever."

The scientist smirk. "Sorry supervisor. I'll go now."

Komui just waved his hand before pushing a button on his keyboard. The scenes on the monitors suddenly changed to reveal the paths leading to the Southwest building. He can already see a number of exorcist racing towards the building while eliminating as many akuma as possible. He smiled sadly when he saw Lenalee and the others running towards there as well.

He can feel it. Something…different will happen. And he had a heavy feeling their sleeping comrade there will play a big role in the scenario the enemy had planned.

**Somewhere in the East wing…**

"Oi, what happened to her?"

Lavi turned to see Kanda beside him. He vaguely see Kiri trying hard to keep up with his master, then remembered the question thrown to him.

"Who?"

Kanda gestured to Lenalee with his head. Lavi sighed a bit.

"It's about Liana. She's at the Southwest building."

"WHAT?" the Japanese exclaimed with big eyes. Then the surprise turned to anger.

"What the hell is that chibi-moyashi doing there?"

The other exorcists suddenly turned to look at them because of his loud voice. Lavi sighed more then slapped the guy on the shoulder.

"What the f –

"Calm down Yuu!" the redhead scolded with a roll of his eyes. "Seriously! We don't need another panicking exorcist here!"

He gestured to the concentrating Lenalee at the front. "If you start freaking out here, she's gonna break down again! We don't want that, right?"

"Shut up." Kanda blurted before bonking him on the head with Mugen's sheath. "I am not freaking out."

Lavi smirked then looked back. "Oi! Kiri-kun! You alright there?"

The blonde boy was obviously tired out but he kept running. The chains on his hand kept glowing as if excited for a coming battle.

"I'm fine, Lavi-dono! Thank you for your concern!"

Lavi stared at the boy for a few more moments before giving him a thumbs-up. After that, he turned back to Kanda.

"Seriously dude. What did you do to that boy? How can he keep his innocence being activated up to now when he's just a beginner?"

The Japanese general only smirked. "He's my apprentice. It should only be natural."

"Damn jerk. When did you start saying those kinds of – WOAH."

They stopped in their tracks upon seeing what happened to the Southwest building. Most of the walls were crushed and a large amount of akuma was coming in from almost all directions. Since the building was dome-like, they can clearly see the amount of damage done. The only parts of the building that remained "safe" were the circular glass roof and the upper floors. The rest were full of the hated creatures. It was like an akuma infestation.

A lot of exorcists were already fighting off the akuma, but they're having a hard time dealing with all of them. Upon seeing the newcomers' faces through, an exorcist jumped and landed in front of them.

"General Kanda! Everyone! Thank God you finally came here!" the male exorcist exclaimed before catching his breath.

"We were ordered by Supervisor Komui to prevent the akuma from going to the other floors. We've been doing that since then. Please lend us your strength!"

Those who knew what was hidden in there suddenly tensed. So it really was _him_ they were after?

"Wait." Lavi called to the exorcist before he returned to fighting.

"Did you see a Noah?"

Their comrade stared back at the redhead in surprise before shaking his head.

"No. I didn't notice one."

Lavi nodded then finally let him go back to the fight. He turned to his friends with a smirk.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go dig in!"

With a roar, the exorcists with them rushed in and started killing off every akuma they saw. Lavi and Kanda looked at each other before the redhead rushed in too. Kanda held Lenalee's arm, preventing her from following Lavi.

"You go to where Liana is." He muttered. "We'll take the rest from here."

Miranda nodded then patted her friend's shoulder. "Go on now Lenalee-chan. You have to save the _both_of them."

There was a moment of silence as Lenalee widened her eyes. Then she regained her composure and nodded at them.

"Thank you Kanda, Miranda." She boosted up her Dark boots and posed to fly through the large opening on the wall.

"Take care too!"

There was a sudden surge of power then Lenalee was gone. They vaguely saw her figure flying through the air in almost the speed of light. The general faced the other woman.

"You stay here. We need your healing powers so stay safe as long as you can."

Miranda nodded. "Of course."

Kanda then turned to his back and saw his apprentice waiting for his order.

"Kiri."

"Yes master!"

"Stay here too."

Kiri stiffened. "What? Why?"

"You won't survive there. Stay here and protect Miranda."

"But you said I can –

"STAY HERE." The general cut in with an intense glare. "I don't need a disobedient student."

The boy tensed more then looked down. "I understand master."

"Good."

Kanda finally stepped in the battlefield after that. Miranda glanced at the boy then kneeled down to his eyelevel. She gave him a small smile.

"I'll be counting on you, Kiri-kun."

Kiri seemed surprised for a moment then nodded at her with a determined face.

"Yes!"

At that, Miranda activated her innocence. A large clock suddenly appeared at the very top of the building and instantly, the wounds of the exorcists in there started healing. Kiri watched in awe when his own injuries were healed too, but he quickly regained his composure and stood in front of Miranda. He was intending to obey his master and serve as her protector.

But it wasn't even a full minute when he felt movement somewhere from the dark passageway. He raised his chained hand.

"Miranda! Kiri-kun!"

He stopped just in time upon hearing their names called. In came Reever and Johnny together with some scientists. They were all carrying some sort of a gadget.

"Good. You two didn't enter." Reever stated after catching his breath. "That makes 12 exorcists. No, make it 10 since Miranda and Kiri-kun can't fight. At least there are 10 exorcists who can protect us here outside."

Miranda watched as the scientists started setting up something around the destroyed wall.

"What's happening Reever-san?"

"Komui ordered to isolate the Southwest building to trap the akuma inside."

The woman gasped in worry. Jerry noticed then gave her a grin.

"Don't worry. The barrier will only trap everything with Dark matter, so exorcists can still go out."

He then faced the other scientists who all gave him a thumbs-up upon installing something on the wall. He gave Reever a nod, making the Australian to take out a cellphone-like gadget. He pushed a button and waited for the receiver on the other line to respond.

"Komui, the last post is installed. You can activate the barrier now."

As soon as he said that, everyone felt a wave as the contraptions of the wall glowed. A translucent light blue aura started spreading the inside of the Southwest building in a fast manner, until it surrounded the whole interior of the place.

Lavi stopped attacking for a moment when he noticed something spreading through the building. He was wondering what it was until he looked around then saw Reever and the scientists surrounding the outside of the building. Reever gave him a nod.

'_A barrier huh.'_ He thought before smirking. _'Oh well. We can't help it.'_

He smashed a level one that was trying to sneak up on him before jumping to land a fatal attack on a group of akuma. Crowley was savagely killing the enemies and drinking their blood while Kanda was effortlessly slicing groups of the menaces as if they were mere paper. With the addition of the senior exorcists, the number of akuma was drastically decreased. The newbies silently thank their presences.

Lenalee gritted her teeth a little when akuma kept coming in her way since she dashed in. From her estimation she's already at the 5th floor. A little more and she can finally check to see if her daughter and the capsule containing her fiancé were both unharmed, but as she went closer to the 6th floor, more and more akuma kept coming to prevent her from going further.

The actions of the akuma made her more sure and afraid at the same time. It was becoming more obvious that their reason for going there was _him_, and she can't let them go near to where he was. Her brother might be angry, but she would absolutely free him from his capsule and take him to a safe place with their daughter if it meant she could protect them.

"**You're a becoming more protective now, I see."**

She stopped yet again when she heard an ominous voice inside her head. She looked around as if looking if someone managed to whisper in her ear, but there was no one around her.

'_What is – _

"I'm here~!"

She gasped. This time, she's sure. She turned around and tensed when she came face to face with yellow-colored eyes, orbs that she was so familiar with since encountering her a few times through the years.

"Y-You are…"

She saw how the girl curled up her lips in a wide arrogant smirk. She backed out in alarm, her body immediately falling in a battle stance.

"Diana!"

She didn't give the enemy a chance to react as she dashed towards her and delivered a round house kick. Her innocence only met the air though when the Noah girl disappeared just in time.

"**I like your energy Lenalee-chan~. But you don't have to be so impatient."**

Lenalee narrowed her eyes when she heard the girl's voice in her head. She scanned the area around her in an effort to figure out where the Noah was hiding. When she didn't see her, she clenched her fists and turned to dash straight to the 6th floor. If her intuition was right, the Noah will –

"Sorry, but I can't let you go there."

Just as she predicted, a rain of candles came flying towards her. She easily avoided and dodged the candles with her swift and graceful moves. However, she was too preoccupied with the candles that she didn't notice in time a large heart-decorated ball falling straight towards her from the darkness.

The impact from the steel ball was hard as she immediately felt her body being forced towards the ground because of gravity and the ball's force. In a moment, her body slammed in a loud and heavy impact on the lowest floor, causing a crater to form because of the impact and the other exorcists to turn to her in alarm. If the giant ball hadn't rolled out, she would have died in suffocation and blood loss.

"Lenalee!"

Lavi destroyed the ball with his hammer when it came flying towards him. He dashed towards the fallen female exorcist.

Lenalee was coughing while she sat up when he reached her. A trail of blood flowed from her lips but she immediately wiped it with her hand. Her wounds then slowly disappeared and her strength returned. She silently thanked Miranda for that.

"Lenalee! What happened?" the red head demanded upon reaching her.

"There's a Noah." She quickly answered. Lavi tensed then narrowed his eyes and scanning the place.

"Who?"

"The girl. Diana."

"Tsk. I knew they're behind this!"

"**It looks like you cute exorcists are all having fun with my lovely akuma."**

Their conversation stopped upon the dark voice in their heads. They didn't have time to recover from the sudden dread when a big shockwave enveloped the whole building, causing exorcists and akuma alike to be thrown to the walls. Even the barrier was completely destroyed.

Reever gasped when a newbie exorcist was thrown to them from inside the battlefield. They all gasped when they saw the heavy injuries the exorcist sustained from the shockwave.

"What…What the hell…?"

Miranda suddenly began moaning loudly in pain as she collapsed on her knees.

"Miranda-dono!"

Kiri went to support the woman with his small body. He started worrying when she started huffing hard for air.

"This is bad." Jerry stated as also went to check up on Miranda. His eyes glanced at the injuries of the exorcist that were slowly being healed.

"She's so much in pain. The damage is too much for her to take. At this rate…"

"She has to stop using her innocence."

They all turned to see Komui standing there while recovering from running all the way from his office.

"Komui, what are you doing here?" Reever asked with raised eyebrows.

"I can't stay in my office and just watch when you're all doing your best here." The Chinese answered then turned to Miranda.

"Miranda, stop your innocence now."

"NO!" the woman retorted with tears in her eyes. "Everybody needs my help!"

"The damage load is too hard for you handle!" Komui scolded. "Release your innocence now!"

Miranda hesitated more before obeying the supervisor and releasing her innocence. She immediately collapsed on Kiri who tried hard to hold her. Jerry helped lean her body on the wall then stood up with Komui and Reever who were scanning the battle area with narrowed eyes.

"What's the situation?"

No one answered as they waited for the smoke to clear completely.

"N-No way…"

As if they were never there, all the akuma disappeared into thin air, leaving only the debris in their absence. The exorcists were scattered around like thrown rags, but they were all standing up from the dusts. There were still injuries in their bodies but not as fatal as they imagined. It was all due to Miranda's last act of help.

"That was nasty." Lavi muttered while stretching his aching arm. He winced in pain then looked down at his body when numerous wounds started opening. Realizing that all the injuries he had for the past time had returned, he looked around and saw the barrier was also destroyed and the scientists were either unconscious or hiding.

'_Shit. So there was so much damage Miranda can't take it all?'_

He narrowed his eyes.

'_What the hell was that attack?'_

"**Now that the nuisances are gone, we can finally start."**

This time, the voice was very clear so he immediately looked at where it was coming from. He immediately stoned when there she was, floating in mid air and looking down at them as if they were mere children posing no threat.

The green glint in her eyes and the menacing smirk on her lips was impossible to forget. The silence from his comrades also confirmed that they all knew who it was, and how bad their situation had turned because of her sudden appearance.

"Edea…"

He whispered before clenching his fist. So even the main boss went to greet them eh?

"It's been so long dear exorcists since we last saw each other." Edea started with a cheerful tone before landing gracefully on the ground. "6 years, I assume?"

She smirked amusedly when the tip of a sword greeted her on the face.

"Oh~"

Kanda narrowed his eyes and never diverted his gaze from the woman's steady gaze. A warning glare was fixed on his orbs.

"Get the hell out of here."

Lavi almost smacked his face in his hand in disbelief. How can that idiot Kanda confront her like that? What the hell was he thinking?

"My, my. You've become more arrogant." Edea smiled. "General Kanda Yuu, was it? I like your bravery."

She chuckled. "But I'm afraid I can't say goodbye just yet."

It took a split second before Kanda realized and avoided just in time. The black sphere hit the wall in his former direction in a big blast, forming yet another hole. His head whipped towards the woman in utter shock. What the hell was that speed? If he hadn't reacted on time, he would surely be the one blasted in there!

Edea laughed at his reaction and formed a finger gun at him.

"Like my finger gun?"

The Japanese general wasn't able to answer as she continued to laugh as if it was all very entertaining for her. But it's not just Kanda who remained silent, the other exorcists were also silent along with how they weren't able to move. Everything happened so fast, and so overwhelming. Just feeling the big amount of dark matter floating around her was enough to send them to chills.

They don't stand a chance.

"Aww, you all don't have to look so afraid." The noblewoman said when she noticed the terrified look on some exorcists.

"I'm not killing you. Not yet, that is." She smiled again. "I'm just here for a welcome party."

Suddenly, twelve large balls of dark matter appeared at each side of Edea. The sight of those balls finally forced the exorcists to gain their composure and resume to battle positions. Seeing this, the enemy only laughed more in amusement.

Lavi was already getting pissed off at how Edea kept on laughing like it was all just a show for her. It didn't help the fact that she _did_ have the right to act like that. If only they can stand a chance against her.

"_Keep moving forward."_

He raised his eyebrows at the random flashback of a memory before smirking. Was that what Allen said way before? If _he_ was here, fighting alongside them, right now, would he have attacked already and scolded them on even thinking of giving up?

'_Of course. Then he would keep on trying even if he's already broken.'_

And just remembering that made him a bit ashamed.

"Lavi!"

His thoughts instantly stopped when he heard Lenalee call him. He glanced at her and saw her glaring at him with narrowed violet eyes.

He was about to apologize about spacing out when the Chinese woman gestured towards Edea with her head.

His timing was good. Since by the time he diverted his gaze towards the enemy, the balls of dark matter were almost gone. And in their place, stand twelve individuals.

Again he was frozen, because those individuals with grey skin and yellow-colored eyes can only be one thing.

"I am proud to introduce to you exorcists…" Edea shouted as she raised her arms at her sides, as if presenting the newly arrived people.

"…my twelve sons and daughters, the completed Noah clan!"

Lavi, Lenalee, and the rest of the exorcists were again shocked at the sudden development.

"Shit." the red head muttered under his breath. "So this is what they're planning eh?"

The female exorcist glanced sideways when she heard him.

"Decreasing our number and surprising us with twelve Noah. This is really bad."

"Do we have even a slightest bit of chance?" Lenalee asked. Lavi glanced back at her then shrugged.

"I don't know. But we have to try."

He vaguely saw Kanda from a distance sending a message to him through the eye. He raised his brow a bit until he saw the Japanese's eyes shift towards the female exorcist beside him and suddenly, he understood. He nodded.

"Lenalee, go get Liana now."

The Chinese woman glanced at him with surprised eyes.

"I can't leave you all alone and –

"We'll just buy you time. Go get her to a safe place then come back to help."

"But -

"Now that we're all acquainted," Edea suddenly stated. "Why don't we start the party?"

There wasn't even enough time to prepare when the twelve Noah all dashed towards them to attack. Gritting his teeth, Lavi pushed Lenalee to the back and charged towards a nearby Noah.

"Now, Lenalee!"

She stood there for a moment then nodded and charged her Dark Boots. When she was satisfied with the amount of power pumped into them, she posed to blast straight to the sixth floor.

"Not so fast, Lenalee-chan~!"

She gasped when Dan appeared at her field of vision. Gritting her teeth at the interruption, she changed positions and instead tried to land a powerful kick on the girl so that she could just dash away. But the girl was fast and avoided just in time. She inwardly cursed at that. She had to go to Liana now! On top of that, she can already feel her movements getting slower by the minute because of her injuries. If she can't avoid battling the Noah now...

"I don't have time to play with you!" she shouted at the teenaged Noah. Dan only shrugged and grinned at her.

"Sorry, I don't take no for an answer."

Then a horde of poisoned candles were thrown towards her.

-/-/-

-/-/-

"Do you understand?"

Neah asked while trying to keep his cool. He can feel it and he's trying real hard not to force the girl to do what they must already. That _woman_ finally arrived. If he and the "key" won't do it faster, it would be too late.

Fortunately, Walker's child was smart enough to get what he was explaining to her the whole time.

"Yes uncle Neah!" Liana answered with a nod. "Let's do it!"

That being said, he nodded back at her and urged her to start. She closed her eyes and collected her feelings of wanting to see her father. The fourteenth narrowed his eyes when the girl's body started glowing in faint white. Yes, just a bit more.

After a few seconds passed, Liana opened her eyes again. The glow on her body retained as she reached out and carefully touched the glass wall between her and the man on the other side. She tried her hardest to suppress her surprise when there was a ripple on the glass the moment she touched it, just like water when something dropped. Not wasting time, she pushed her fingers into the glass.

Both her and the 14th felt a small amount of relief when her hand successfully penetrated the glass. Gaining confidence, Liana stepped forward, causing further penetration. She walked more until she was on a reachable distance to the Noah.

Seeing this, Neah raised both of his hands towards her. He was silently telling her to choose which hand to hold. Liana widened her eyes a bit when she noticed his left hand was disfigured, like a monster's hand in those scary cartoons.

She hesitated, then looked up the man. Her "uncle" only gave her an encouraging smile. Seeing that, she nodded then reached to grab the left hand. Her fingers immediately curled up around his bigger ones tightly.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore, uncle." She said then gave him a grin.

"Let's go together now."

She pulled him towards the glass wall. Upon his first contact on the wall, the glass slowly melted until it was gone. Finally free, Liana pulled him more enthusiastically as she stepped back, until he was stepping on her former position. His figure slowly vanished.

BOOM!

As if stricken by lightning, Liana jolted up with wide eyes. She was sweating hard and her breathing was erratic. She vaguely remembered holding someone's hand, but why can't she remember most of her dream? On top of that, her head hurts. Then another sound of explosion surprised her. She gasped then started panicking.

"M-Mommy!"

Ignoring her things and forgetting her dream completely, she quickly ran out of the room, intending to find where her mother was and see if she's alright.

And for a whole minute, everything was silent in the room. Until an out of place electric current ran through a wire, causing a chain reaction as the numerous wires around the capsule started reacting in a frenzied manner. Warning messages started appearing on the machines' screens in a fast rate as the currents caught up in their systems, until the machines can't take it anymore.

The machines exploded. The lights went out and smoke enveloped the room while fire started to spread.

"**Time to wake up…"**

Then the cover of the capsule was thrown out as if it was just paper. Like a creature summoned by its master, the body inside slowly stood up after six years of sleep, white hair flowing to his back and clothes dripping wet because of the ice-cold blue liquid inside the capsule, his bangs covering most of his face.

"**..my dear fourteenth."**

He smirked.

-/-/-

-/-/-

Lavi looked at his left and right and did a quick analysis of their current situation. There were a total of 2 dozens of exorcists scattered around the area and battling twelve Noahs. Despite their obvious advantage in number though, only a few can take on the Noah on almost equal terms. To make things worse, almost half of their force were either too injured to fight or already knocked out somewhere.

And Edea? Well, the damned lady was standing in the middle of it all, watching as if everything was according to her plan.

There was a flash at his side and he quickly jumped as another ball of dark matter blasted at his former position. He jerked his head towards the Noah he was currently fighting. If he remembered correctly, it was the reincarnation of the Noah called Wisely.

There was something off about him though. The Noah's attacks were kind of slow and repetitive. All he did for the past minutes were to throw dark matter balls, as if it was all he could do. Besides, the guy's supposedly powerful third eye was only half opened. Taking his chance, Lavi raised his hammer and slammed it right on the Noah.

"Fire seal!"

The spot where he slammed his hammer was immediately engulfed by the snake of flames. He was expecting the Noah had avoided but to his surprise, there he was, screaming in agony as the fire snake ate on him. He quirked an eyebrow and landed near the fire, waiting for the Noah to counterattack.

However, the Noah continued to scream until it collapsed on the ground. The flame vanished and had left the Noah's unconscious body. Lavi blinked.

'_What the hell…?'_

Was it over? The battle didn't even last as long as he expected. He glanced around to see how the others were doing. His eyes landed on Kanda who was slashing his Noah opponent mercilessly. When he looked closely at the Noah, it looked like Skin Bolic.

He glanced back at Wisely's reincarnation then shook his head. He turned his back then dashed towards Kanda – who just unleashed a powered up Hakka Tourou.

"Kanda." Lavi called as he watched the Noah collapse. "You noticed too right?"

The Japanese general didn't say anything for a moment before standing straight in ease position, eyes still glaring at the Noah he just defeated.

"They're weak." He finally replied. "It's like they don't know what to do."

"That's because the both of them are just newborn."

The two exorcists quickly turned around and resumed battle stances at the presence of none other than Xig – the Noah reincarnation of Tyki Mikk.

Xig was casually smoking a cigarette as he walked towards the two men, only stopping when he was already a few meters away from them.

"Go easy on them will you? They're still on the learning stage you know."

Lavi narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh you know…" the Noah answered after he blew another smoke then threw the cigarette away. "…things like remembering the past."

He smirked at them.

"But thanks for the harsh training. Because of that, they managed to remember fast."

Kanda barely dodged the lightning bolt thrown at him by using Mugen as a shield. He and Lavi turned to see the formerly unconscious Skin Bolic standing up, his grey skin peeling to reveal a new golden skin and eyes steady on Kanda's face.

"Kanda…Yu…exorcist…"

The Japanese smirked then fully faced the newly awakened Noah.

"So you remember me." He activated Nigentou. "And it's General Kanda now, you bastard."

Lavi watched as Kanda charged towards Skin Bolic for another battle. He turned back to Xig who was smirking amusedly at him, as if anticipating his next action.

"It seemed my brother Wisely is taking his time recovering." He stated before raising his hand. Lavi narrowed his eyes when a Tease was born from his hand.

"Why don't you play with me for the meantime, Bookman Jr.?"

**Meanwhile…**

Lenalee coughed out blood as she struggled to stand up after using Enbu Kirikaze to ward off a storm of poison candles from Dan. The Noah, who barely had injuries aside from a small cut on her cheek and a large bruise on her midsection, only watched her struggle while sitting on a summoned level one akuma.

"What's wrong Lena-chan? Tired already?"

The Chinese didn't answer right away and only glared at the girl.

"Shut up."

Laughs. "Well, having a kid is really hard, ne? How is she by the way?" Dan smirked.

"Does she look a lot like _Allen _now?"

Just a split second passed and Dan found herself slammed on the floor. She aggressively coughed out blood and managed to watch how the female exorcist easily destroyed her level one akuma into pieces, before landing about 5 meters away from her. Lenalee was glaring at her.

"Wow." Dan muttered while standing up. Instead of wiping the blood flowing from her lips with her hand, she did it with her tongue.

"Looks like I made Lena-chan really angry now~!"

She smirked. "Nice try. But it's already too late."

Lenalee gasped when she felt sharp pain from her side. She looked down to see a dagger stabbed through her body, and felt the ominous presence of none other than Dan. She tensed then looked back at the spot where the Noah was supposedly standing, only to find an empty space. Realizing she was tricked, she gritted her teeth and kicked the girl at the back, effectively taking the dagger out and giving her time to back out.

"An illusion." She muttered with frustration. Dan only laughed.

"Correct. But I'd like to call it 'dream'. It seemed cuter."

Lenalee didn't answer as she started assessing her wound. From the amount of blood flowing from it, it seemed the injury was not that deep and she could still manage to fight without treating it. However, if she didn't finish this battle now, she might sustain deeper wounds.

Dan frowned when the exorcist didn't move for a whole minute.

"What now Lenalee-chan? I'm getting impatient here."

She rolled her eyes then waved her hand in the air. A dozen of twice sized poison candles suddenly appeared.

"Oh well. I'll just attack first then."

She dropped her hand down, in turn signaling the candles to fly towards Lenalee again. The exorcist narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth in frustration. She can already feel her feet numbing because of fatigue and overuse of Enbu Kirikaze and other strong attacks just to impale the Noah, but to no avail.

Yet, she had to keep trying. She just had to find a chance to escape. Although it can be called cowardice, but her daughter's more important now. She won't calm down until she can see Liana safe.

Unknown to her though, her daughter was already there, stoned frozen in shock as she watched her mother unable to move while the Noah attacked her. It wasn't until she heard the horrified screams of her brother and her friends from afar when she took noticed and whipped her head towards her side to see her daughter.

'_No.' _she thought with dread then suddenly felt a strong sense of panic. _'What is she doing here?'_

Liana can't believe what she was seeing. All the exorcists around her were having a very hard time dealing with the enemies. There was so much blood and struggle. It wasn't like anything she ever imagined about fighting against the akuma and the Noah.

Was she frightened? Yes, very much so. However, seeing her mother almost unable to fight right in front of her caused something to stir inside of her. And in an instant, all the fright went away.

BA-THUMP.

She needed to protect her mother.

Her chest started hurting so bad but she didn't care. All that was in her mind was to protect Lenalee. So she ran as fast as she could. And even if she can hardly breathe now, she gathered all her strength, then pushed her mother out of the way with her own body.

She succeeded. The force from her body effectively pushed and alerted Lenalee to move. The woman rolled to a good distance then immediately stood up.

"LIANA!"

Her scream was so loud that both exorcists and Noah looked at her direction.

Smoke cleared and there was the little girl, lying on the floor and almost unconscious, a pool of blood forming from a wound at her side.

Dan was still in a state of surprise while Lenalee ran towards her daughter. That was completely unexpected. Who would have thought, that out of nowhere, the daughter would come to rescue her dear mommy from danger?

She laughed. It seemed the girl was more like her father after all.

SPLAT.

'_What…?'_

The Noah girl stopped at the sensation of her body being pierced through. She slowly looked down, and became shocked as she saw a blood red crystal stabbing her right into her midsection. Her wide yellow eyes followed the long crystal to where it came from.

It came from the little girl's own pool of blood.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Lenalee stopped in shock when she saw how it all happened. Her girl was staring at her with a relieved smile when her body glowed and a sharp crystal formed from her blood, instantly stabbing the unaware Noah. Then Dan was screaming in pain.

She gasped when she finally realized what it was.

'_Don't tell me…'_

"IT BURNS! IT'S BURNING INSIDE OF ME..!"

'…_innocence?'_

By now, all attention was at them alreaady because of Dan's horrifying screams. Even the other Noah stopped their attacks and stared at what was happening in shock.

Desperately, Dan forced herself out of the crystal and backed out a few steps away from the girl. Upon the lost of contact, the crystal returned to its liquefied form. Her eyes were full of rage and murderous intent. How dare that hateful little girl hurt her like that! So she was an exorcist too huh?

"You bitch!" She screamed with revenge then raised her hand up in the air.

"I'll make you pay for this!"

Seeing the all familiar hand gesture, Lenalee forced herself to move and dashed straight to her daughter. She scooped the girl in her arms and jumped away from the candles direct range. To her surprise though, the candles changed directions and followed them. She cursed when those hateful candles increased speed and was heading straight towards her.

She swiveled to release another Enbu Kirikaze. But before she could even complete her change of position, red flooded her sight.

She stopped yet again in surprise as the blood from her daughter's wound, still in its liquid form, splashed on all the candles as if enveloping them. To further her surprise, the candles started melting upon contact with her daughter's blood.

She landed far from Diana and looked down at her daughter to see if she was aware of what was happening. But from the blank expression of her eyes and the strong glow from her chest, it's obvious the innocence was moving on its own.

She glanced at Dan. She almost smirked at the dumbfounded expression on the Noah's face. It's her daughter's win, and even if it was all the innocence's doing, Lenalee can't help but feel proud.

"Interesting girl you have there."

The female exorcist didn't even notice when Edea appeared beside Dan. The Noah girl immediately grabbed the woman's skirts and looked at her in a plead. Edea patted Diana's head affectionately.

"Stay back Diana dear. I'll take care of this."

Hearing that, Lenalee hugged her daughter closer to her. It was then that Liana seemed to regain consciousness.

"M-Mommy…?"

She looked down as Liana touched her arm.

"I'm here honey. Don't worry."

Liana blinked. "Are you alright now?"

"Yes dear." Lenalee replied with a smile. "Thanks to you."

With that being said, Liana sighed in relief and slowly closed her eyes, the glow on her chest disappearing. Lenalee was going to panic again but seeing the rise and fall of the child's chest, she felt relieved and turned her attention to the enemy instead.

"Is she your daughter?"

Edea was glaring straight at Liana's sleeping face. Lenalee shifted her child in her arms to hide her face then carefully glanced at the scientists watching at the sidelines. She vaguely saw her brother staring back at her in worry. She had to move fast and take her daughter to them before –

"I'm asking you, arrogant exorcist."

She gasped when Edea threw balls of dark energy towards the scientists.

"How dare you! They're not doing –

"When I ask, answer immediately." The noblewoman interrupted with a glare. She stepped towards her.

"Again, is she your daughter?"

Lenalee didn't know if Edea casted a spell on her or if it was just her own fear. Suddenly, she can't move.

"Y-yes." She muttered then glared back. "Yes, she is!"

There was a moment of silence until she heard Lavi scolding her to get out of there.

"Then that means she's also _his _offspring." Edea stated as if thinking. Then her eyes rolled towards the Chinese woman in a more intense glare with a murderous intent.

"Forgive me dear, but I can't let that child live."

She can hear her friends screaming for her to move while they struggle as the Noah prevented them from coming to her. But as much as she wanted to run away as Edea prepared her attack, she simply can't. Not with the shocking amount of hate, evil and all the dark energies thrown towards her. It was suffocating. It was the first time she was so frozen in fright.

"Say goodbye now."

All she could do was to close her eyes and scream.

"NOO!"

…

…

...

Then there was nothing.

Upon opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was white. A white cape. Like a sign of hope and a foreshadowing of salvation, as if telling her it's going to be alright.

Then she saw her friends' shocked faces, The Noah's surprised expression, and even Edea being taken aback.

She returned her gaze to the white that was in front of her. Her eyes slowly widened when she saw the long white tresses, the familiar ensemble of black and gold only given to the Black Order's generals, and the sword used to save the world years ago.

She tried to open her mouth to say something, to call and see if what she was seeing was true. But all she managed was a silent scream of _his_ name in her mind.

* * *

**AN: **I know. It's been, like, a year since my last update. Many of you thought I'm abandoning this story, but here I am presenting you chapter 24 at last!

Now, I have a very big reason for the sudden and long delay when I promised last time there would be fast releases. But I won't be ranting about it here. I already posted the reason in my profile a month ago (don't really remember XD…) so if you're interested in knowing, just go to my profile. And no, it's not all about school again. XD

Anyway, I'm glad to be back here again and I'm sincerely grateful for your encouraging reviews since my absence. It's been tough, but because many of you still like this story, I did my best to bring you this chapter.

So I'll say it again (like what I posted in my profile), **I am not abandoning this story. **There are a few chapters to go (2 or 3, depending on the circumstances) so please just wait for it. I will not promise on a date of release anymore since I always end up breaking it. I can only assure you that there WILL BE updates.

That's all. I am sincerely sorry about this and I'm still hoping you can continue to read this story until the end. Merry Christmas and see you next update! :D


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